22 Days T'ill Christmas!
by The Nine Tailed Winter Wolf
Summary: Christmas break takes a turn for the worst when mysterious things start to happen with the gang. What dark secrets and hidden loves unravel themselves as the days until Christmas go by?
1. The Suprising 22nd part 1

Please note, I will probably never give Crona a specific gender in any of my stories. It does not mean I will make Crona act more like a boy sometimes and more like a girl sometimes. Crona will have no gender for this story.I want that known to all my readers. The ending may surprise some who think of Crona as a girl, but again Crona has no gender so Crona can be whatever Crona wants to be! I will leave the deciding up to you guys!

I am not certian where I am going with this story either. I plan to upload a chapter almost every night. I will eventually figure out a plot by the third chapter but this is it so far. The ending was the most of a hook I could manage since my writing skills are not that great.

* * *

"Christmas?" Echoed Crona looking at Maka.

"CHRISTMAS BREAK!" Maka screamed aloud from the balcony of Shibusen. Soul and Kid flinched slightly. The two boys exchanged glances and shrugged. Why was Maka acting all giddy?

"Oh Soul isn't it great? We get the whole month of December off! OH JOY TO THE WORLD!" Maka jumped down from the edge of the balcony, grabbed the sleeve of Soul's jacket and swung him around once before he flung her away.

"Maka, you crazy?" Soul wiped off the wrinkles from his orange t-shirt with both his hands. "It's not cool to act so girly and stuff."

"Soul this year is different. For some reason, I can't tell why, I feel extremely lucky."

"Yeah, whatever. Just don't get me involved in this. I just wanna go home and eat."

"That reminds me, Maka, are we still having dinner at your house this year?" Kid walked casually over with both his hands inside his black jean pockets.

"Can't." She replied. "Too busy. Soul would eat it all anyway before you guys could make it out your front doors."

Soul grinned and nodded. Crona faintly emitted a smile, while Kid frowned.

"Oh too bad." Tsubaki came out of the school's archway and onto the balcony. "I was really hoping for some Peppermint cake and Roast, -er, whatever it is you were serving last year "It was good". Tsubaki smiled trying to be nice about Maka's legendary drop-dead roast duck she had made last year.

"Just about as good as that medicine we all had to take after eating it." Soul laughed.

"That's not nice." Crona whimpered. "I liked it."

"Thanks Crona!" Maka smiled brightly. "Why don't you come over this evening and help me make tonight's dinner? Tsubaki wanna come too?" Both Crona and Tsubaki shook their heads. Crona had become a regular at Maka and Soul's house, always helping Maka when she needed help. Tsubaki loved to come over too, especially since Black*Star had taken on a new girlfriend. Tsubaki seemed a little relived to get away from the house. All three friends walked in the archway again and down the stairs.

"Okay then." Soul shrugged as he turned to face Kid. "Do you want to catch a movie? There's this new cool one about a wolf boy."

"Eh?" Kid pivoted where he was to face Soul. He had seemed to be facing outwards upon the city as if in deep thought. He pushed his striped hair out of his eyes. "A movie about a wolf boy? How trivial to a Christmassy theme. It _is_ only twenty two days away you know."

"Christmassys not a word." Soul put his hand on his forehead and shook his head. "Y'know you're so stupid sometimes. Not cool."

"I'm not in the mood for jokes. Or movies for that matter." The shiningami moved his hand around in the pocket of his pants. Obviously, something was bothering him. Soul had noticed this for the past few days. "But," He breathed. "I guess seeing a movie would take my mind off of things."

Soul wanted to ask what "things" stood for, but shook it off. He smiled broadly letting his sharp teeth glisten.

"All right. There's a night show at seven, we can go buy us some tickets, hang out around town and then head to the movie."

"That sounds fine." Kid merely looked up to the sky.

* * *

The two boys walked out of the theater with their newly purchased tickets. They were going to see a movie about a wolf boy who went insane and ended up in a mental hospital, but for some reason choose an action movie about two twins who fought demon food.

"Geeze. What will they think of next?" Soul snickered. "Phantom teriyaki? Maybe a Romantic Yakisoba flick."

"Is that all you can think of for a title? Food?"

Kid and Soul were now walking down a dark alley. They were supposed to be going to the newest nightclub in town that they were allowed to go to. A newly polished lounge with a dance floor and coffee bar had just opened. No alcohol though, it was more of a DWMA Club for older teens. Maka, who was on the council for opening the club, had insisted on that.

"Kid, you seem really down." Soul finally murmured, still looking forward.

"Well, I think I may be onto something serious. A plot, really. Something that is happening in secret at the academy. I think my father might have something to do with it."

Soul's eyes widened a bit, and his heart pounded at the thought of a exciting secret mission over Christmas break.

"So that's what you were so worried about before, I thought so. So tell me what it involves." Soul and Kid stopped suddenly.

"HIYA!" Black*Star marched in front of them cutting them off from their path. They were now directly in front of the nightclub's entrance. The sign on the front read, _Miester Weapon Night Club._

"God, Maka, couldn't you have thought of anything more simple for a name." Muttered Soul, looking up.

"HEY! Weren't you listening? I said HIYA! I spoke to you. YOU SHOULD BE GRATEFUL!" Black*Star slapped Kid on the back.

"Do that again and I'll kill you."

"You guys goin' inside too? Me and Myuki were just going inside!" A small girl with a light skin tone stepped out from behind Black*Star. She was a tiny thing with short white hair and black eyes. She wore a light blue dress that bore a faint yellow star pattern. On top of that she had a wool jacket and a scarf. This girl must have been Black*Star's girlfriend.

Soul gasped. He was sure she was a distant cousin of his or something. He could not remember all of his family and he did not care.

"So that's your new girlfriend. How does Tsubaki feel about her?" Kid glanced disapprovingly at Black*Star.

"Tsubaki acknowledges my existence at least, and I acknowledge her's. Is that not enough?" Myuki took a step forward to Kid and looked slightly larger than before. "What does that half-wit have anything to do with this conversation anyway, who are you?"

Kid took a step back as if he were really terrified of this girl. Soul was scared. He wasn't sure that they were really having a conversation before for that girl to be talking to Kid like that. Soul looked away to the window of the club. He could see a faint flashing light from inside.

"Shall we go in?" Soul motioned Kid to go in first, then Black*Star, then the little white haired-viper. Black*Star stomped in first, holding Miyuki's hand. Since she was still waiting for an answer from a very shocked shiningami. Kid slowly followed keeping his distance, he must have still been shaken by the fact that he had just been frightened by a girl half his size.

The room was fairly spacious and was bright. The ceiling of the dancefloor and lounge was painted as black as the sky outside and had little twinkling lights all over the place. They looked like stars. The drink bar looked like something of a retro magazine. It was bright orange and had little square stools to sit on. Chinese lanterns of all colors were hung everywhere by strings.

"This'l be intresting. Soul slinked over to the counter and ordered a large cup of the most caffeinated thing on the menu. Whatever it was, Soul never did find out, he chugged it down and went to a window seat where Kid looked out onto the street.

"Some girl, huh? Black*Star sure is a lucky guy." Soul joked.

"Did you see her? She was like something out of a Phantom Teriyaki film you were talking about!"

"That's not nice. Are you comparing Black*Star's new girlfriend to some Japanese Food?"

"Yes, like that type you order at a café and your too scared to try it because it looks so strange. So you move it to the side of your plate with your chopsticks. Then, it turns out to not be symmetrical so you have to find an identical chunk of-"

"Kid." Soul placed his hand on Kid's shoulder. "Why don't you calm down and then tell me what it is you've been tracking this past week. You know, the secret plot in the academy?"

"Ah, yes I told you didn't I." Kid paused and signaled for a waitress. "Blueberry pie slice please." The waitress nodded, smiled, and headed to the counter. She seemed to think Kid was pretty cute.

"You are now sworn to secrecy, you may not tell a sou- person. Got it?"

Soul shrugged, acting cool, but leaned in closer because he wanted to hear whatever Kid had to say.

"I think the academy is planning to build an asymmetrical addition to Shibusen."

Soul's jaw dropped and his hands fell to his sides, just as the waitress brought the pie out and set it on Kid's lap.

"SERIOUSLY? KID! I've been wondering for the past few days about what dark and evil secret you've been hiding and that's it? Some asymmetrical crap is NOT what guys like me are supposed to be worrying about. It's just not cool!

"That" Kid sliced up a small section of the pie and put it in his mouth. His golden eyes narrowed. "That, and the fact that Crona is going to make a move on Maka tonight."


	2. The Suprsising 22nd part 2

Off to a little bit slower pace. TomorrowI will post two chapters because I am lagging a bit. (by one day) I am making it up as I go! (So much fun to do by the way.) The story will reveal it's pain plot around the fourth or third chapter. I will definitely not have this be the average sappy romance. There will be a twist, once I figure out what it is...

* * *

All the clocks struck seven p.m. throughout Death City, except for the ones who were neglected or off by a few minutes. However, in Soul and Maka's apartment, the darkness did not affect the people inside with sleepiness. There were cheers from Maka, Blair and Tsubaki and the occasional "yaay" from Crona.

"Only twenty one days until Christmas!" Maka leaped into the air tossing Blair to the ceiling.

"MMMROWW!" The purple cat shrieked as Maka caught her again and launched her up into the air again.

Maka went to the kitchen counter, leaned over, and grabbed a bottle of sparkling apple cider.

"I know how you like this stuff, Crona." She waved the green bottle over next to Crona's face making little bubbles break on the surface of the drink. Crona managed a full smile.

Tsubaki held out her glass, which Maka filled to the top, and the weapon took a large swig. Everyone in the room laughed.

Maka leaned over and set Blair inside Crona's arms. Blair nestled into Crona's new white jacket, courtesy of Tsubaki. The cat begin purring.

"Hey Cutie." She winked showing no hint of shyness. The cat pawed playfully at Crona's pink bangs. "You are a guy…. mmrright?"

Crona walked over to the couch and calmly set the cat down. Tsubaki looked to Maka.

"He didn't even say he didn't know how to deal with her!"

"That is because I taught Crona how to deal with her." Maka laughed holding her hand over her mouth.

"Oh." Tsubaki flipped her ponytail back. "Could you teach me, Maka? I still don't know how to deal with her."

Maka sighed and grabbed a handful of popcorn. They had given up trying to make diner and just popped a few bags of popcorn. A few soda cans covered the counters. The TV was on and some scary science fiction show was playing. Crona would sometimes look at it for a minute, squeak, and abruptly turn away again.

Soon, all the kids were huddled together on the couch. Blair sat satisfied on top of the fridge. The lights were all turned off and it was a fifteen minutes past seven. The TV was set to a horror movie. Maka sat in the middle of the couch, remote in hand while Crona and Tsubaki sat on either side of her.

"Where is Soul and Kid?" Crona asked flinching as some unimportant character got their head ripped off.

"Movies, I think. I heard Soul talking about how he wanted to see the one about the wolf boy." Tsubaki started to snore and both Maka and Crona giggled.

"Oh that looks scary." Crona's teeth chattered.

"If you want to go see it, I'll go with you Crona. We could go see it later tonight or tomorrow."

"T-tonight?"

"Yes, I'm not studying. And by the way. It's Christmas vacation, why not have some fun with friends?" Maka bent over to the coffee table and took another sip of soda.

"M-Maka? Can I ask you something? Well, I need to tell you something." If we go to see the movie tonight?" Crona's eyes widened as if a little nervous.

"Yes, Crona?"

"Could you come over to my apartment tomorrow night, I'd tell you then." Crona had just recently received an apartment thanks to the contributions of Shibusen.

Tsubaki shifted positions in her sleep.

"EEP." Maka jumped. She was not usually the jumpy type. The squid-like monster on the television set had just swallowed a gorgeous blonde. Crona looked over to her, worried, and wondering why she had jumped. "Sorry, I just.. wasn't expecting that. I thought she was one of the main characters."

"Were.. you scared Maka?" The blue light emitting from the TV blazed across both their faces. She was about to shake her head "no", when the door was kicked down. Blair arched her back and bolted down the hall.

"MAKA! THAT IDIOT! WHERE IS HE!" Soul was flaming up in an uncontrollable rage. He stood over the door and ran over to Crona. "GAAAAAHHH!" Soul had just leaped for Crona's neck, when Maka threw her Physical Ed. Book at his head. He lay sprawled across the floor with a slight nosebleed.

Maka looked behind her to see Tsubaki and Crona plastered against the wall. Tsubaki had climbed her way up the couch was standing on top of it with both hands grasping the wall. Crona stood next to her and looked more of in the heart-attack stage. Both were gasping for breath.

"Wh-a-at?" Crona yelped.

"MAKA!" Soul jumped to his feet shaking off whatever pain her felt. "MAKA BACK ROOM NOW!" The weapon grabbed his miester by the sleeve and pulled her back into the back hallway.

"HE'S GONNA FRICK'IN KILL YOU!"

"SHHHPH! Maka covered Soul's mouth with her palm.

"First of all," Maka pointed with her free hand down the hall. "Crona can hear you. So shut up." Her eyes narrowed and continued on. "What are you talking about anyway, Soul? You just barged in and attacked Crona!"

Soul shut his mouth. He wasn't sure of what he had just did. In fact, everything was a blur up until this very moment when we was alone in the hallway with Maka.

"Oh crap, I screwed up." Soul muttered as she took her hand off his mouth.

"Uh.. yeah.. you did."

"Did Crona say anything weird to you tonight. Maybe he admitted to stalking you lately?" Soul changed the subject very fast.

Maka did not answer. She just glared at Soul, then pushed him aside and walked back down the hall.

Tsubaki was peering down at the door on the floor, and Crona was still against the wall in the corner.

"It's okay Crona. I'm sorry Tsubaki." Maka sighed and went over to explain to her friends that Soul was just having mental issues.

"Hello, guys." Kid stepped into the empty door frame. "MY GOD! THE DOOR IS A MESS! LOOK THERE ARE CRACKS IN THE DOOR!" Kid counted them. "Three small fractures on the left side one large one on the right! Oh LOOK! There is even an indentation like a foot had kicked into-"

Soul ran down the hallway and pushed Kid into the hall yelling at him.

"The neighbors have got to love this." Maka, with the help of Tsubaki, pushed the door back into it's place. "I'll go get some screws to hold it in for tonight, tomorrow I'll go buy a new door." She slowly went down the hallway to the supplies closet. Just as Maka was reaching for the box of screws, a couple thoughts popped into her head. _Soul had said something about Crona… but why was he so worked up tonight? Why had Crona invited her to an empty apartment tomorrow night?_


	3. The Awkward 21st

This will be my shortest chapter. Since I have yet to upload 20 Days 'Till Christmas tonight. I am very excited that we only have 20 days left! Tonight's chapter will unfold revealing that there might be a little going on between two certain characters. The question still has to be answered: _How did Kid know Crona's next move, if he really wasn't just bluffing?_

* * *

It was late morning and Maka was holding the handle of a frying pan above the stove. The contents of the frying pan sizzled inside and the whole apartment smelled of early morning breakfast. Hot cakes with syrup were stacked on the small table next to the bowl of grapefruits and pears. The sunny-side up eggs with toast were still on the counter because there was not enough room on the table.

Maka wondered why Crona had not been over this morning. Usually, every morning, Crona would come to help make breakfast. Maka thought something was off. Still, there she was, making bacon for Soul, her insane roommate who tried to attack Crona last night. Maka tipped the pan over and the crispy, crackling bacon fell into the plate.

"Hmmph." She waved it around to cool it off just as Soul walked into the room.

"Hey Maka."

"Don't talk to me."

"Breakfast looks good."

"I SAID DON'T TALK TO ME!"

Soul hardly looked surprised that she was furious. He kept it cool. He slumped down into one of the chairs around the breakfast table. He grabbed a fork and started poking one of the hot cakes. Maka turned around from the counter set down the bacon plate on the table. There was an awkward silence.

Soul poked at the hot cakes some more, while Maka stabbed a piece of bacon with her fork and shoved it into her mouth. _That poor poor piece of meat,_ Soul thought.

**_Poke Poke Poke._**

_"SOUL THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE PANCAKES! BUT NOW THEY LOOK LIKE WAFFLES WITH ALL THOSE HOLES YOU'VE MADE IN THEM!"_

"WHATS YOUR DEAL MAKA!" Soul flung the hot cake at the wall.

"WHATS MY DEAL?"

"EXACTLY!"

"WHAT IS YOURS! YOU WANT TO EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED LAST NIGHT?

Soul knew he couldn't. He didn't care what Maka thought. He didn't even know why he got worked up after what Kid said last night. All he knew was that now he didn't care. He didn't care about Crona, Maka, or whatever Kid said from now on. Soul thought back to what happened last night.

_"Heh, heh, heh." Kid snickered as Soul threw him into the wall._

_"Want to tell me what you meant in the café?"_

_"You're the one who took off right after I said it."_

_"Let me get this strait. You were just joking?" Soul clenched his fist._

_"Well I had a theory, and I wanted to test if it was true or not." Kid looked up with a wide grin on his face._

_Soul punched Kid and walked back to the apartment._

_"I never said it wasn't true, though."_

Soul looked up at Maka, who would not even make eye contact. She walked over to the counter opened up a cabinet and grabbed out a jar. She unscrewed the lid and took out a couple of ten dollar bills, which she shoved in her sweat shirt pocket.

"I'm going to go buy a new door, stupid." Maka said, seeing Soul was wondering what she was doing.

"BLAIR! You coming too or staying here?"

"Where?" Blair waltzed into the room dressed in a skimpy tank top and low cut shorts.

"The hardware store." Maka answered.

"What is Soul-kun doing?" Blair smiled, sheepishly.

"I'll stay here and keep Soul busy." Blair pounced on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Maka blew her bangs out of her eyes, opened the door, and forgetting it was not attached to the doorframe, it fell. Maka stepped over it and stomped off down the hall.

"WAIT MAKA!" Soul tried to go after her, but couldn't get up from Blair's weight.

Maka was just about to knock on door 117, Crona's door. When she held back her hand. Something Soul had said last night made her a little wary of talking to Crona. She knew that Crona was her friend whom she could trust though, so dismissed the thought quickly. She didn't knock on the door though, she turned around and walked down the hall.

"I am going to go buy a door." Maka said firmly, almost as if reminding herself. "I'll just wait for tonight. Or… WAIT!" Maka remembered something important. She reached into her sweatshirt pocket, felt the money and her cell phone. She flipped it open and dialed a number, then held it up to her ear. "Hello?" Maka spoke. "Yes, Crona. I cannot come over tonight. I'll do come over tomorrow though. Yes, Sorry, I'm busy tonight."


	4. The Secretive 20th

Here it is. I'm really excited about writing this now, I have mapped out a plot now that does not revolve all around relationships. I am wondering if I should bump the rating up because of the ammount of gore coming up when the actions of the main _"bad guy"_comes into play. This should be int- resting. Oh, Sorry, for not indenting paragraphs, the writing program I use keeps messing up when I use them.

I would love to hear if you are a CronaXMaka or a SoulXMaka! I am not revealing if **I **am CXM or SXM until the ending, but that does not mean one or the other will not happen in the time before that. Who knows, I might throw in another character to be paired with Maka. _Maybe not._

Hope you enjoy the fourth chapter! _ -Wolfie_

* * *

It was morning when Soul woke up from the couch. That was the firs thing that was strange. Maka usually woke him up late at night and told him to get into his own bed. He layer upright, and his red eyes widened. Outside the window, was snow. Magnificent tiny white flakes of snow drifted down outside the window.

Soul bolted up off the couch tossing aside the remote on his lap and ran to the window. This was the first time it had snowed in Death City that he could remember. Death City was in the middle of the dessert, so he wondered if the dessert outside was snowy too. Weird, thought Soul. Maybe it was just some type of odd spell that Kim and Angela had put together with permission of Shiningami-Sama.

The two witches had to channel out their magic every once and a while. Usually by them going out of town for a few days and coming back brighter then when they had left. Therefore, this large feat was definitely something that would get that magical urge out of their system.

Soul gasped as he stood at the window, dumbfounded for a minute or so, just staring at it as it blanketed the street. When he did turn away from the glorious snowfall outside, he thought he would wake up Maka and tell her. Usually she would be making breakfast with Crona right now, but neither of them was in the kitchen making waffles or pancakes.

White light filled the apartment in whichever room there was a window, and a chill filled the whole building. Soul didn't mind though. He just raced over to Maka's bedroom and slammed open the door.

"Hey, Soul." Two cat eyes looked at him. "Isn't it beautiful? Want to come cuddle on the windowsill with me?"

"BLAIR?" Soul stumbled back. "Wh-wheres Maka?"

"I dunno. She hasn't been home all night and it's been worrying me. She didn't make me any fish last night either! Soooul." The purple cat whined. "Leftover bacon is not as good as fish."

Soul went to Maka's closet and looked to see if her coat was there. It was. He didn't own a coat yet, he didn't plan for it to snow, so he took Maka's coat, a gray-fleece buttoned coat, and fit into it.

"Aw it looks so cute on you." Blair purred.

Soul ran to the apartment door, which was still not attached to the door frame. This is when he started worry. Maka had not been home all night and there was only one person he could think of who knew the reason why. _Crona._

He knocked on apartment 117 not caring how hard he knocked. Crona opened the door, holding one arm with the other hand. Soul knocked on Crona's face a few times.

"Oh sorry." He said sarcastically.

"Hello, Soul. Is Maka with you?" Crona smiled.

"No she can't be in two places at once idiot!" Soul raised his voice a little. "How stupid can you get? She obviously can't climb out of the window of your apartment, go back through the lobby and come back to your door with me!" Soul didn't know what he was saying, and Crona looked confused.

"I-I don't know what your talking about." Crona looked down, avoiding eye contact. "Please stop, I don't know how to deal with people yelling at me like that."

"Oh I'll deal with you all right." Soul marched into Crona's apartment. It looked similar to Soul and Maka's except it was painted all light gray, and there was no furniture. Soul pushed his way into the kitchen, no Maka. Then Soul went to the bedroom, where he discovered there was a small bed and a desk. On the desk was a phone, a book, and picture of Maka and Crona. Still, there was no sign of Maka, herself.

"Crona! Where's Maka?" Soul came into the main room again where Crona was standing, this time with Ragnarok looming above his miester.

"STUUUUPID BOY!" Tiny Ragnarok taunted. "Where 'dja Think Maka would be? Obviously not here! There is nothing going on between Crona and Maka. OR ELSE I WOULD KNOW ABOUT IT!"

Soul's anger increased and it showed all over his face.

"Of course, there was that incident last night." Ragnarok's beady little x-shaped eyes seemed to be looking into Soul's mind. "Where Maka and my miester here were getting all friendly-"

"NO! STOP RAGNAROK!" Crona tried to reach up and cover his weapon's mouth. "HE'S LYING! HE'S LYING!"

"Crona?" Maka walked in the door. She was dressed in a white coat with the same amount of buttons on either side of the pockets, and she had a light blue hat covering up the top part of her two ponytails.

"Soul, why are you in Crona's apartment… and is that my coat?"

"Why did you come here Maka?" Soul asked suspiciously. "Where you looking for someone?"

"The door was open and I could hear Ragnarok's voice. I wanted to make sure he wasn't bugging Crona too much." Crona make an "EEP" sound and looked from Maka to Soul.

"I'm not getting involved in this anymore, this isn't fun anymore." Ragnarok formed back into Crona's blood.

"Well, for once, good idea Ragnarok. I'm going home." Maka turned around and walked back to the apartment. Soul didn't apologize to Crona, he didn't feel like it, he just followed after Maka. Crona looked outside, once, and then closed the door, sighing.

Maka pulled out the door, using all of her strength and set it on the other side of the hall.

"Some moving guys should be bringing the new door soon."

"Your not mad?" Soul echoed in amazement.

"No, I had a great sleep last night so."

"Just, were exactly were you Maka?"

"None of your business, Soul." She turned around and got some salmon out of the fridge.

"I bought this for Blair about a day ago, I hid it so she wouldn't find it, I was going to cook it up last night, but-" Maka cut herself off and took out the frying pan.

Soul got control of himself. It wasn't cool to act so uncool. He heard a couple grunts and a lanky man came down the hall in a heavy coat coated with snow. He took of his hat and set the door by the door frame.

"Here you are, Miss."

"Thank you." She tipped the man, and he commented on her nice blue hat. She thanked him again and he went off down the hall.

"It's Christmas, everyone is so happy and cheerful, I just wish you would be more considerate." Maka sighed as the scent of salmon filled the apartment and brought Blair in her human form, rushing into the kitchen.

"Feh." Soul settled down on the couch, took off Maka's coat, and turned the TV on. _"And then I found a doll that looked exactly like me pinned to my house door." A young brunette girl was speaking to a news reporter._ Soul Changed the channel immediately. He hated news; he'd rather watch basketball.

"Oh Soul, could you cook up the salmon and put in the new door? I almost forgot I said I would return this coat right away." Blair and Soul looked up at Maka.

"I'll do it if you tell me where you were last night." Soul said turning off the TV.

"Fat chance." Maka walked over to the couch and grabbed her coat, and then she wrapped her neck in a aqua-coloured scarf that matched her hat. She skipped out the main door frame in a happy mood.

"Creepy." Soul commented and walked over to the salmon, while Blair looked over his shoulder.

_RRRRING RRRIING_

Soul walked over, grabbed the phone off the counter, and answered "S'up?" He then went back to the salmon, when Blair reminded him that she was hungry.

"Hey Soul, could you tell Maka that she left her cell phone at our house?" Liz asked over the phone.

"Can't. She just left." Soul shifted the frying pan so the salmon danced around in it.

"Wait. Maka was at your house last night?" Soul asked inquisitively.

"Yeah. Kid and Maka had something to-" Soul dropped the phone and turned off the burner.

"Hey! My fish!" Blair turned the burner back on and continued cooking, while Soul rushed down the hall to Crona's apartment. He kicked the door open, careful not to break it, and Crona, fearfully looked up at him. Crona was reading a book in the corner of the room.

"I know where Maka was last night!"

"H-huh?"

"She wasn't at home! Or your place! She was at Kid's Mansion!"


	5. A Very Sneaky 19th Day

Please Review! I love to hear what you have to say about the story so far, -or suggestions for the next couple chapters! KidXMaka? CronaXMaka? SoulxMaka? Wow! Maka's one lucky girl!

Anyway, the next chapter comes out tomorrow and will have Myuki (Black*Star's girlfriend) narrating! _This should be intresting!_

_8 Stories away from Chapter 10, I can tell you is going to be a bit creepy. Actually, a lot. If you Re-read chapters 1-5 very carefully you might see some fore-shadowing of what is to come. (there is a murderer) _Ok! Enough spoilers :3 Hope you Enjoy Chapter 5: A very Sneaky 19th Day! & remember, **ONLY 19 days 'Till Christmas!**

* * *

Crona and Soul maneuvered the ice-cold streets.

"SSSsooooouull" Crona's loud cry turned into a moan as they run through the streets. Soul gripped Crona's arm tightly. Crona didn't know how to deal with this.

"Shut up' She'll hear us!" Soul didn't have his coat on so he was freezing but he really wanted to see if Maka was really going back to Gallow's Mansion to drop off a borrowed coat.

The cold white snow fell on them as they rushed through the streets, and soon they were on the outskirts of town. It was true that only Death City was under a cloud of snow. The rest of the area was a barren dessert except for the large lantern forest where Blair used to live.

The warm dessert air was hot and dry, but it comforted the two as they dogged Maka for a short while until they came to Gallow's Mansion. It was a large grand building. Soul and Crona had been here before for parties. Now they almost felt like intruders. _Wait, we are intruders! _Crona started to panic.

"Down Down Down!" Soul pushed Crona's head into some symmetrical bushes in front of the main gait. They looked out and saw Maka rush up to the front door of the mansion, where she rang the door bell. A few moments later, Kid opened the door and greeted her cordially. Soul's eyes narrowed into tiny crimson slits.

"Wha-Wha-ats going on, Soul?" Crona trembled on the ground beneath Soul's hand.

"Oh, yeah sorry." Soul brought his hand back up allowing Crona to get up.

"Crona, listen. You may not under stand but…." Soul paused and looked over the bushes as Maka walked inside the mansion. Kid shut the door.

"SHE WAS JUST SUPPOSED TO DROP OFF THE FRIGGIN' COAT WHY'D SHE GO IN?" Soul slammed Crona's head down again. "Ooops! Sorry!"

"Explain to me, Soul." Crona got up. "Why are you so angry? Why don't I understand?"

"Bbff!" Soul stumbled a few steps back. This situation was not cool at all.

"I think Maka and Kid are going out. That's how he knew about you at the clu- never mind." He put his hand over his mouth and slumped down below the bushes.

"Going.. out? Where too?" Crona asked, puzzled.

"Oh my God." Soul buried his face into his palms. He forgot he was talking to a two-year-old when it came to life situations. "I'll tell you later."

"Well, lets go in and say hi to Maka." Crona grabbed Soul's jacket sleeve and pulled up.

"NNO!" He pulled Crona back down for the third time. "You can't let her know we followed her! _OUCH! That hurts, Soul!,_Crona thought. "And you definitely cannot let her find out I followed her here, got it?

"Oh look Soul! She's coming out! She's coming out!" Crona hide behind Soul and Soul hid behind the bushes. Kid was holding to door open and Maka was stepping down the steps, while putting on her sweatshirt.

"Thanks for everything, Kid!" Maka smiled. Soul couldn't see the emotions on her face, but he thought he could see the faintest, no it was clear, he could see her looking all lovey-dovey at him. His miester continued down the pathway and right past them. She then, started walking back to Death City.

"Where is she going now Soul?" Crona whispered very quietly.

"Dunno. I don't care what Maka does."

Crona, with a title of the head, pointed at Maka and then to Gallow's Mansion. "Look, I know you're frustrated, but we still don't have any proof that Maka is 'going out' with him."

"Uh?" Soul didn't know how to respond to that.

"Lets follow her!" Crona grabbed Soul's jacket and jerked him upright.

_do do do break time!_

"A-a bookstore?" Crona looked up at the large letters "_Death n' Noble_"

"Yeah, ya' didn't know that about Maka? She has a second home in this place."

"I'm going in!" Crona looked excited, and didn't hesitate to run into the bookstore.

"Just stay outta Maka's way!" Soul reminded Crona a little too late, he couldn't see the miester anymore.

Soul sighed and watched his breath float in the air next to the dancing snowflakes. He shrugged and walked in after Crona. When he walked in the door he immediately felt a gust of warm air. Soul didn't know why he came in so walked over to the nearest book shelf. He wasn't interested in books, but he didn't want to look stupid just sitting there.

He grabbed a brightly colored book and sat down at a chair. His surroundings were horrifying. Dozens of shoppers crowded the busy bookstore and were struggling to get what they needed for their Christmas lists. Soul tried to signal out Maka. There! She was holding a book and standing next to a short old woman and a tall man with a hat. They seemed to be having an intense conversation.

"Soul?" Maka blinked, and then motioned him to come over. Soul grabbed the book he took out and walked casually over to the three. "Soul! Soul? Why do you have a book on expecting mothers?"

"I.. um... ER? What?" He looked at the cover of the book and hid it behind his back. "So what are you doing here Maka?"

"I'm trying to find a book on old English style Christmas pudding." She smiled warmly. "I want to cook it, so we can invite Liz, Patti and Kid over." Soul frowned at what Maka had to say.

"You are very lucky to have a girlfriend like this nice young lady." The man spoke up.

"She has a very good vocabulary and is very polite." The older woman just nodded.

Soul blushed lightly. _Uncooooooool._

"Uh- I'm not _his _girlfriend!" Maka waved both her hands in front of her. "I am actually the miester Maka Albarn from the DWMA. He's a death scythe you see an-."

Soul turned away he didn't want to hear anymore. He just wanted to go home, so he set his book down on a random shelf and began walking to the store entrance. Halfway to the door, Crona bustled through the crowd of people holding a book.

"Soul?" Crona asked shyly. "Could we buy this book?" Soul picked it up and held it in his hand. _Relationships: and how to Deal with them._ "You said you'd tell me about 'going out' so I found this book and-

"Yes get it!" Soul gasped handing Crona twenty dollars he grabbed from his pants pocket. _Anything is better than explaining it to Crona, besides it will be something else to add to that bare apartment._ "Sure but…" Soul started again, reviving his 'cool'. "You have to deal with the scary lady at the counter."

"Yesir!" Crona scrunched the money up, ran, and stood in line next to some very ominous-looking shoppers.

"You know sonny." The lady that had been talking to Maka earlier hobbled over to him. "I suggest you better go after her soon. She's a good one and there aren't many of them these days."

Soul scowled. He wanted to yell something like "SHADDUP YA' OLD HAG" or something else of the matter, but it was Christmas. It was the least he could do.

"You got it all wrong. Maka's just my miester. You really shouldn't be snooping into other people's business, 'ol lady."

"Hmm." She just smiled and wrapped her coat tighter around her frail little body. "She is a very inviting person. I did'nt snoop. She told me everything about you, she is not the least bit frightened to let the world know who she is."

"Maybe you've heard it before, but that pink haired fellow seems to have the hots for her too."

"Hey, just so you know, Crona doesn't have a gender." Soul pointed out. He wasn't going to get worked up again like he did at the Night Club a few days ago. "He wouldn't have to guts to tell her how he feels anyway!" He thought back to Maka and Kid too. That was enough proof to tell him that Maka was involved or going to be involved with one or the other_. I don't care anyways,_ Soul thought.

"You're a bit scared of losing her to that pink-haired boy aren't you?" The old woman smiled.

"Heh, how would you know?" Soul said with a sardonic tone to his voice.

"In your last sentence you referred to him as a 'he'."


	6. The Deceitful 18th Day

It was hard to start on this, but as I went along it got easier and easier and fun to write all of Myuki's parts. They are so SCANDALOUS! You really have to put yourself in her shoes and then remember to take them off when you go downstairs for some juice... (or you just might end up saying some 'evil-like' things to your sister)

Please Review! They are what inspire me and help me get better at writing this! _AND ESPECIALLY Review if you feel sad for Tsubaki :C I sure am..._

**Killer makes /his/her/ first eerie apperance on the 18th Day of our countdown 'till Christmas! :3**

* * *

Morning light filled the small apartment.

"Black*Star. Blaaack*Star. BLACK*STAR!" Tsubaki was not used to yelling. Black*Star wasn't sure she was capable of such a thing either. She was a sweet tender creature, but when she meant business, could she scream.

"Ugh." Myuki groaned. _God, that girl is annoying._

Black*Star and Myuki walked down the stairs to greet Tsubaki, who had both her hands on her hips.

"Look, I dunno why you're so mad or anything." Black*Star put both his hands behind his head. "I just wanna get going. What were you going to tell me again?"

Tsubaki forgot. She didn't really want to say anything to Black*Star or Myuki, _obviously_. She just wanted for them to be done with their previous activities upstairs and out the door. Black*Star was taking Myuki Christmas shopping this year.

"Never Mind." Tsubaki turned away and waved her hand. She just calmed herself and reminded herself the only reason Black*Star was going was because he was getting something super secret for her. Still, Tsubaki frowned a little, she had always gone Christmas shopping with Black*Star in the past. She loved the way her miester always came up to her in the store asking if 'this' or 'that' was something she would like for Christmas.

"K'ay! C'mon Black*Star!" Myuki tugged on the baggy part of his shirt. _I love Black*Star, but what makes our relationship the best is how I can see right through you, Tsubaki._

The door close and the last of the outside light was gone. It was then, that Tsubaki shed a single, lonely tear.

"Where should we go first?" Black*Star smiled and looked straight forward as they trudged through the snowy streets of Death City. Myuki smiled and squeezed his bare arm, tighter. _You really are oblivious to other's feelings, aren't you Black*Star?_

"Hmmm. How about that new video rental store? I want to look at something."

"OKAY! Let's GO!"

Myuki tilted up her head to look at his face and smiled. As they were walking down the snowy streets a familiar jacket caught her eye. _Ah, Soul Eater Evans_!

"This way!" She dragged Black*Star over to Soul who was staring in the window of a shop. "Evans!" She shouted, knowing well it would anger him. He just turned around slowly, looked at her, and turned back. "Hey, how are you?" She inched closer still gripping Black*Star's arm.

"Hey, Soul." Black*Star said casually.

"Hey." Soul said sounding cool.

"Is that all you too can say?" Sighed Myuki. Soul shrugged and turned back to looking in the shop. The shop had a rounded window and a menu inside it. Myuki took a peek at the menu. _Wasn't this place a terrible place to eat? Ah. _She understood.

"Black*Star, could you do me a favor?" Myuki smiled and took out her wallet and pointed to a store across the street. "Could you go to the store across the street and buy a blue scarf, and –erm- a red scarf for me, please? I want to talk to your friend."

"Okay." Black*Star reached out and grabbed the wallet. He walked over to the other side of the street. Myuki smiled brightly.

"What the hell have you done to Black*Star?" Soul gasped. "That's not the Black*Star I know."

"Shut up. Your such a stalker." Myuki's smile faded into a face of disgust. She began walking down the left side of the street.

"Follow me, Evans." She motioned with her hand for him to come closer. He obediently did so, not wanting to end up like Kid had on their first encounter.

Snow ebbed it's way down the street filling it with a cold and chilly presence. People, of all colors and races crowded around making it hard to follow Myuki. Still, Soul noticed, it was easy to follow her spiky white hair. She looked like only a child compared to some of the tall people around her. He could not help flinching every time a person bumped into her, as if she might break.

"Wait what about Black*Star?" Soul caught up to her.

"He'll be there for a while. That's a large store that doesn't sell scarves, and he'll be too stuck up about himself to ask." Soul's eyes widened, as if he seemed surprised by her keen intelligence.

"You and I need to have a little talk." She turned around and pushed him into the mouth of a street alley. "Okay, first." She came closer to him, her eyes looked up to him, She wasn't that smaller than him though.

"WOAH! WOAH! WOAH!" Soul pushed her away.

"Relax, I wasn't trying anything. I was playing with you. You're so fun to do that. I'm your blood anyway. Some sort of distant cousin if I can remember correctly."

"Distant cousin? You're nothing like me ya' little twit."

"Quit the crap, it's not like you didn't notice my white hair and red eyes."

"Your eyes are black." Soul commented, but he did feel like he was looking in a small mirror.

"They change red while I'm in weapon form."

"You're a w-w-eapon?"

"Yes, I'm a two bladed kama."

Soul looked at her stupidly.

"It's a type of small scythe, dim-wit." I'm really surprised, though, you turn into anything at all! It's my family with the weapon blood, you Evans are nothing but Musicians. Well, since you are realated to me, I'll treat you like a brother, k'?" She punched him in the gut. "Now get yourself together and stop being a slob!" _Geeze, this guy is an idiot._

"I-I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!" Soul yelled at her.

"You like that girl miester don't you?"

Soul paused and gapped at her. He defiantly had to admire that trait about her. It was like a super power she had. Myuki could take one look at a scene and play around with the characters at her will, as if they were little puppets. She was also very good at observing tiny details no one else noticed.

"No, as a matter of fact I have no romantic interest in a flat-chest-" Myuki cut him off and put her hand over his mouth. "You may have not noticed but as another similarity to you I have sharp teeth as well, I'll bite right now if you don't admit it!" _Not, like I'd actually do it though, I just got to play this out slowly._

Soul thought she would not do it. They spent twelve seconds alone together just staring at each other. Her black eyes seemed to go past him, right through him.

"You're serious aren't you?" Soul gulped, and his eyes narrowed. "Well if your so obedient you should know these things and not have to ask. And Sometimes, little sister." He paused on the '_sister'_ part. "You have to come out and admit you are wrong." He smiled. She smiled too.

"Only we know the truth than."

_**CRASSH! BANG!**_

A garbage can about ten yards away, in the darkness of the alley clattered against the street. Myuki jumped and spun around. Soul braced himself and stared into the cold alley. She took noticed of what he was doing and tried it too. _No.. nothing.. what could he be staring at? THERE! MOVEMENT!_

Soul broke into a run down the alley, Myuki followed running along side him.

"Someone's been following us." Soul jumped over the garbage can and looked out. There was a three-way fork in the alley. North, East, and West all seemed like possible ways the spy could have ran down.

"Someone.. has been following us?" Myuki repeated. _Why did I not notice?_

"There's not much we can do anymore now.." Soul turned around and started to walk back. He stepped on something and a loud crack came from under his foot.

"What's a physical ed. book doing here?" Myuki gripped Soul's jacked. "I'm a little spooked, I'll admit." He shook her off.

"It's Maka's. Let's get back."

"Yessssssssser brother." She started in front of him, leaving him to trudge behind.

"Sorry, Myuki." Black*Star blushed. "I couldn't find the scarves you wanted."

The three peopled were standing in front of the sushi store again. Myuki turned away from the store window and snuggled next to Black*Star.

"It's okay. I'm fine. They weren't for me, they were for my two friends, Nanami and Rei."

"You know Soul, I was thinking about joining Shibusen."

"Oh great."

"Oh show some joy, Soul." Soul noticed she seemed to have dropped the playful 'brother' part of his name. "I hated the fact that I was a small ugly tool until I met Black*Star."

"Nanami took some trials and it is shown she has the capability of becoming a miester if she wanted. She could be my miester if Black*Star didn't want me." She said, not playfully, but as if she meant it.

"TSBA-" Soul gasped.

Black*Star, Myuki, and Soul turned to see Crona walked down the street toward them.

"Hello." Crona said meekly, as if sensing Myuki's manipulating aura.

"Hey, Crona." Black*Star waved.

"Have you seen Maka?" Crona asked Soul, looking him in the eyes. Soul tensed a bit and looked at Myuki. _Bad choice Soul, with that glance, you told me everything._

"I have. She was just looking for you, in fact." Myuki pushed one of her bangs out of her eyes. Black*Star and Soul both exchanged glances and looked down to Myuki.

"She's in that sushi shop. She just ordered a refill of green tea and now she's probably finishing up her bowl of miso. She's also reading A Black Midnight by Ethan Swaz, ever read it, Crona? Well that's one of the four books in her bag, but she's missing one."

Myuki grabbed the book Soul was holding and shoved it into Crona's shivering arms. "She dropped it outside, I was going to give it to her, but I bet she would enjoy it more if you gave it to her. Heck you could even sit in there and have a nice long talk." She smiled a tricky smile. "Go in there and have fun, don't be a loser and just stand by the window and gawk!"

Black*Star and Soul looked at Myuki in amazement as she pushed Crona into the doorframe. "Thherre ya go!"

"C'mon Black*Star, let's go look for those scarves!" She turned and looked Soul and she smiled. "You lost a long time ago." _Crona already has her trust and affections I can tell.._

Two minutes later, Soul moved from where he stood on the street corner in the snow. He felt as if Myuki beguiled him. He wondered why she warmed up to him and gave him advice then let Crona have the upper hand. Soul finally came up with the conclusion that it was just Myuki's nature to have fun toying with other's minds.

"_And sometimes you have to come out and admit you are wrong."_

Soul turned around and walked away as snow fell covering his jacket. He brushed it off with his hand. He had forgotten all about the book in the alley.


	7. The Jealous 17th Day

Sorry about yesterday! I was sick and my local news channel told it's veiwers "Only 18 days untill Christmas!" - lie.

Layout so far: Tonight will be a Liz and Patty story and tomorrow we go back to Soul for a much needed ' O.O moment '.

I am thinking about writing a short 3 part Kim and Angela story, because the two witches facinate me so much. Thanks for the reviews!

* * *

"Alright! Lantern forest here we COME!" Black*Star waved Fey Blade Tsubaki over his head and then pointed her in the direction in of the forest where Blair used to live. Myuki trailed behind Black*Star, she appeared to be deep in thought.

"Myuki? Wanna transform? I'll carry you." Black*Star put his hand behind his spiky blue hair. "I'm a fast runner. I'll get us there with my super-agility and speed."

Myuki nodded and in a blaze of blue light transformed into a silver double bladed Kama. It was a fine slanted thick blade with designs carved into the side. Tsubaki had to admit, it was very impressive, indeed.

While Black*Star held the Fey Blade in his right hand and the Two handles of the Kama in the other, Tsubaki could feel Myuki's presence so close. It was as if she were sitting beside her. Although they were not great matches in wavelength as the two Thompson sisters were Tsubaki could hear Myuki's voice very clearly.

"Hey Tsubaki."

Tsubaki nodded out of courtesy, but Myuki must not have been able to see her.

"Aw, please don't ignore me, Tsubaki. In fact just feel my soul wavelength lapping against yours and Black*Star's. Do so, and we can resonate together as two weapons. Black*Star would have a very powerful weapon than."

"No, Myuki." Tsubaki crossed her arms. She could tell all of Myuki's thoughts very clearly when they were held so close together in weapon form. Tsubaki gasped. _Could she know what I am thinking?_

_Yes. Yes I can._

_Myuki?_

_No.. It's Soul… of course it's me!_

_In this state we can think alike without Black*Star hearing our conversation. You can say the truth of what you think about me. Only I will hear you._

Tsubaki frowned and looked out into the usual blackness that surrounded her in her weapon state. No matter how hard she tried she could not figure Myuki out. There was a good side to her and yet a mean-spirited side. She concentrated.

_Myuki. Why did you do that to Soul yesterday?_

_Hmm. What?_

_I talked to Soul yesterday, he said you talked to him about.. Maka?_

_Yes. I did Tsubaki, so what is it to you?_ Tsubaki flinched as she heard Myuki laugh, not through their secrete talk, but aloud.

What were your motivations yesterday? What did you hope to gain by talking to Soul about his feelings for Maka?

"What so funny you guys?" Black*Star laughed too. "Just wait up—were almost there."

_At first, I only wanted to help Soul hook up with Maka. _Tsubaki thought that was strange and then noticed the 'At first' part. _Then.. Then I saw how many feelings for Maka, Crona had. They over powered any feelings I've' ever sensed within a person. So when it looked like I was needed elsewhere because stupid Soul couldn't make up his mind I—"_

"You switched sides." Tsubaki softly murmered.

"Huh? Tsubaki? What is it?"

"Nothing Black*Star." She looked away, even though she knew he couldn't see her. Myuki's reasons for doing things were strange and she didn't understand it.

"It's cruel and heartless."

_Are you saying you don't want to help poor Crona? But rather help Soul?_

"I'M SAYING YOU SHOULD JUST STAY OUT OF PEOPLE'S PERSONAL LIVES AND QUITE MESSING WITH MINE!"

"Ts-subaki?" Black*Star stopped running, as both weapons could feel him come to a halt. "What are you saying."

"I'm saying.." The weapon cooled herself off before continuing. "I'm saying you should continue this mission with Myuki because I feel sick."

"Ts-ubaki?" Black*Star repeated. Tsubaki changed back with a flash of golden light and started walking north east, back to Death City.

"Just go. I have things to take care of anyway."

It was a long, cold walk back up the streets of death city. The snow piled hard on her shoulders even though it was light and downy, they felt tired and achy.

"I was always there for you Black*Star. You understood me, and I-I" She rubbed away a few tears from her eye.

A few people on the corner commented on her dreary appearance saying things like "Oh, she must have had a sad day." Or "What a heart-break!" Tsubaki didn't notice them.

"Maybe she is more right for Black*Star than I am. I'm so weak and sens-si—tive. And She's so str-ooh-ong willed and." Tsubaki paused at many of her words. She couldn't pronounce them all correctly because she was so upset. _And I'm talking to myself… well at least Myuki can't read my thoughts anymore._

"TSSSUUUBAWKI!" A tiny witch latched onto the leg of Tsubaki's snow pants.

"Oh Hello, Angela." She put on a smiling face so the little witch couldn't see, but Kim walking up saw her red eyes and wet cheeks.

"Oh Tsubaki. It's Myuki isn't it?" Tsubaki nodded.

"WHAT? WHAT?" Angela looked from Kim to Tsubaki and tugged at both of their coats. "WWWHAAAAAT?"

"Oh, nothing Angie." Kim picked up Angela and held her on her hip, while Angela weaved through Kim's pink hair trying to braid it.

"I really do love the snow." Tsubaki bowed for no reason and looked up at the dark cloud in the sky. "It was you wasn't it?"

"Yes, yes. Shiningami-sama allowed us to do so this year because Angela's becoming quite the destructive child. Aren't you?" Kim teased her shaking the little witch on her shoulder.

"And you probably wouldn't under stand the whole snow water thing and how it has to do with teaching her rejuvenation."

"Explain to me. I'll listen." Tsubaki and Kim walked down the streets of the city, with Angela skipping ahead. She felt they were having a very good time together, although she did not know where they were heading too.

"Thanks for the talk you guys, but my apartment is just up the street." Tsubaki smiled kindly at Kim and then looked to the little witch hugging her leg. "And Angela.. make sure you don't make a snow storm happen again." She winked.

Angela nodded and continued to hug her leg.

"Oh Tsubaki! I almost forgot! I was going to give it to you when we first met this evening." Kim reached into a sack under her long white downy coat. From the bag, she retrived a jar. The jar was wrapped up so tightly in cloth that the contents inside were not visible at all. She handed it over to Tsubaki.

"What this?" Tsubaki asked, puzzled.

"Witch's brew." Angela said. "It will help solve your problem."

"I made it!" Angela nodded and looked up.

Tsubaki walked back up the street, into a familiar building and up the stairs to her apartment. Only then was it she decided to take peek under the lid of the jar. She gasped.


	8. The Vague 16th Day

Happy 16th day until Christmas! Here's one for all you Liz and Patty fans! Today's story may seem a little vague to the subject now (hence the name), but if you are a deeper reader than most, then you very well may get some of the low-key humor and may have already come up with some ideas on what may have been in Tsubaki's jar.

Well, I'm really looking forward to tomorrow's chapter and want to wish you G'night on the sixteenth day until Christmas. Please review and feel free to send any messages with questions you have about the story. :) -_Wolfie_

* * *

"Patty!" Liz put her hand on her forehead rubbing her temples.

"Lizzzz!" Patty ran up to her sister and embraced her tightly as if this were their first reunion in ten years.

"Where were you?" Liz sounded annoyed.

"I was talking to the nice dog over there!" Patty replied lifting her hands in the air. "He says he has seen the murderer who is killing little girls!"

This perked Liz's interest at first, but then she remembered where they were going. She simply grabbed her sister's wrist so she wouldn't loose her again and stormed off through the snowy alley to the pharmacy.

Liz was wearing a crème-colored coat laced with strings to tie it together. Her hair was up in a ponytail, but most of her head was hidden under a white beanie. Her sister wore the exact same outfit, hair up and all, except the only difference (besides her breast size) was that she wore a frilly scarf.

"Sis? Why are we helping that meanie?" Patty looked innocently into her sister's cold gaze.

"Because, Patty, Her jerkish boyfriend told us too. Listen, in case you have forgotten, which you probably have, Myuki's gotten sick. Besides, it's just the right thing to do, even if she is a big jerk too."

"But aren't we getting paid, too?" Patty chimed in.

"MOOOVING ON." Liz walked faster looking down at the sidewalk.

The pharmacy was a small pristine utopia of bottles of pills and medications. Patty bought the fluid Black*Star had told her to buy. It was a feeble over-the-counter medication, plus it was cheap. Patty stood by her sister's side looking around, until it was time to go.

"Thanks for being so patient, Patty." Liz complimented her when they were outside.

"No problem, Big Sis! Can I have five dollars?"

"Okay?" Liz frowned and handed her five dollars. "Why?"

"Because a man is selling cute doggie hats over there and I want one!"

Liz looked over to see a friendly looking, somewhat tall man standing next to a cart of hats. Several cute animal hats were positioned nicely on a coat stand. A sign read, _Five dollars a hat,_ right next to him.

"Sure, Patty go get one." Liz shrugged and looked at her watch. _Ten minutes until five o' clock._ The sky was already dark and a light snow fell on the city. It was fairly cold out, and she shivered wondering when if her sister would hurry.

She looked over to see Patty looking at all the hats, pointing at some, making a animal noises and then playing with the ears on another. Liz sighed and thought back to what her sister had said earlier, it gave her the shivers.

A dark colored man with muscular arms and only a tank top on made Liz look up. He eyed her and stopped walking, then he turned around and leaned against a storefront. His deep brown eyes looked onto her face and he snickered a little.

"Aren't you cold?" Liz turned her gaze away. She knew she shouldn't talk to the likes of him, but two minutes of him just staring at her had made her very uncomfortable.

"Just got back from the bar, hon'." He replied in a hoarse voice coughing a little. "I was on my way back to my apartment, want to join me?" He smiled a disturbing smile.

"Shut up. I don't want to deal with you. Go away." Liz stomped her foot. She really wanted Patty to hurry up.

"Listen, girlie." Said the man walking across the street and leaning on the wall next to her. "I don't want to hurt you tonight, so I was thinking maybe you could just cooperate a little bit more." He reached into his pants pocket and Liz could see the faint bulge in the shape of a gun in his pocket.

"Ha. That thing's tiny!" Liz chuckled looking across the street. "I've got a bigger gun in my pocket."

"Don't try to scare me, it's not going to work." He pressed up against her a little. "Your begging to annoy me, so just work together okay?"

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF ME!" She shoved him into the wall. "Like you'd ever use that thing anyway you creep! PATTY! We're leaving now!"

Patty was just walking up wearing a white dog hate with buttoned blue eyes and two floppy ears. She jumped up and bounded over to her sister, acting as if the man were not even there.

"Heh? DID YOU EVEN HEAR ME? IV'E GOT A FRICK'IN GUN HERE!"

"So do we." Liz turned around and grabbed Patty's arm. Patty immediately took weapon form and Liz aimed it at the man's head with one hand. "Now back off."

The man dropped his gun, and ran down the alley not looking back once.

"Patty, he's gone you can come out now." Patty did as she was told and turned around. "That man was scary sis'!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Inside her mind, Liz was freaking out. She was worried that, that man really was trouble for the city. Although he didn't seem dangerous, he might have been the man Patty was talking about. The thought was quickly dismissed when Liz reminded herself half the stuff Patty said was complete crap.

"Did you see my cute hat?"

"Yeah, it is pretty cute. Let's hurry up and get this stuff to Myuki."

The two sisters, hand in hand, ran down the dark street.

* * *

Myuki's apartment was a highly retro small dwelling. It was on the northeast side of town. The kitchen opened up into the living room, a bathroom, and a bedroom off that. Modern furniture and appliances impressed Liz a lot. She had to admire the good taste that Myuki had.

The opened the door and took five steps into the apartment.

"REMEMBER TO TAKE OFF YOUR SHOES!"

Liz and Patty both took off their brown snow boots and continued on.

"It's a picture of Black*Star!" Patty smiled and pointed to a picture on the wall with his autograph on it.

"Yup."

They walked into the living room and gasped at the amazing view it had. It was lined with tall ceiling-height windows that gave a wonderful view of the city.

"Er, hi, Myuki." Liz shrugged and set the medicine on the coffee table.

"Hello." Myuki was in a sorry-looking state. Her whole-face was bright red and she had watery-looking eyes. "Ugh. I've been sick all last night and today. I think it's stomach flu."

"It looks worse than that!" Patty smiled.

"Thanks." Myuki said dryly. She pointed at the kitchen counter. "Liz, could you go get some scissors from the cabinet next to the fridge." Liz looked around and walked over to the cabinet. She was about to open it when Myuki stopped her. "WAIT! NO! The left cabinet, the left one only! DON'T open the that one!"

Liz brought back her hand so fast it was as if she had just burnt it on the stove, she then reached for the left cabinet instead.

"Sorry, Sorry. Here are your sissors."

Myuki took the scissors and opened up the package containing the medicine, just as Patty and Liz were walking to the door.

"Where are you two going?" Myuki snapped.

"To Black*Star and Tsubaki's for dinner." Liz answered.

"Well don't eat any food. Tsubaki's a terrible cook! Black*Star said there was nothing wrong, but my dinner last night tasted foul!"

"Okay, Okay." Liz shrugged even though she knew Tsubaki was a great cook. "C'mon Patty lets go."

The door opened and shut again. Myuki sighed. She was very grateful they had not opened the right cabinet.


	9. The Immense Moment on the 15th Day

Sorry again for yesterday, it turns out my local news station was right... heh, today is truly the fifteenth day until Christmas.

I love Christmas, except for the fact that I need to come up with three presents for my best friends. (hmm?) Somehow I think getting them symmetrical shirts won't mean anything to them. XD

Only 15 days left! Have a very merry Christmas! I'll make sure to make tomorrow's chapter really good! Hope you like tonight's!

* * *

"Kid? Do you think my mother would like this?" She smiled up at him as he looked down at the rack. He eyed the clothes with disgust. "I was thinking about sending her this camisole, I hear it's warm where she is."

"Maka you can't be serious!"

"Huh?"

"That shirt has five stripes running down the middle but one stripe is being cut off where the edges meet the stitching line. Honestly, Maka, your mother would disown you if you sent that to her for Christmas. You need something a bit more.. more..

"Symmetrical?" She sighed setting it back down.

"Yes that's the word for it. You read my mind!" Kid kept rambling in the distance but Maka's mind was elsewhere. She turned to him again and then looked him in his golden eyes.

"Tell me. What do you want for Christmas?" Maka flipped one of her bangs out of her face and lowered her bag off her shoulder.

"Don't ask me that. You know what I want." He turned and looked nonchalantly out the store window and onto the street.

"Well, I already have it. So don't worry." She jabbed him in the side with her arm. "By the way, thanks for going shopping with me! I really appreciate it." He looked at her again and she sighed. "Oh… and your advice on what I should buy."

"Hey Maka?"

"Yeah Kid?"

"Where's Soul?"

"Oh you mean he's not playing stalker today?" Maka asked quizzically.

"What? He's stalking you?" Kid looked around the store, but all he could see were bustling shoppers and clothing racks.

"No, he left after I met up with you at the café. That's strange! He's been following me for about four days as far as I can tell." She paused and continued. "I didn't tell him to stop because it was fun to mess around with him! I would walk into the strangest of stores spend an hour there and at random times, stop walking, turn around, and walk the other way. To the extent he would pursue me around was scary. I think he thinks I'm up to something."

"You aren't are you?" Kid's eyes narrowed.

"Well no.. but.. Ever since a few days ago all my stuff has been disappearing." Maka walked up to the counter to pay for a shirt that had gotten the 'okay' from Kid.

"Are you sure your not just misplasing it?" The shiningami asked with a firm stare as he crossed his arms.

"No, no! I'm sure of it!" The lady at the counter handed Maka her shopping bag and the two headed out of the store. "I set my blouse on the desk one night and woke up the next morning to see it gone. I thought I might've heard the door open and close in the middle of the night.. but.."

"Are you sure it wasn't Soul?" Kid's next question placed a few doubts in Maka's mind about trusting her partner. "They say all physco paths start out by stalking, then taking things from their victims and finally-"

"The murder, right?" Maka asked wryly.

"Yes, and if the psychopath really wants their victims to fear they will leave a message first. Has Soul given you any clues about his recent change in ambition?"

"Don't be stupid, Kid. Soul's not like that, or ever will be. Although, I am a little creeped out by the stalking." Makaconfessed as snow started falling on the city again. "On the other hand." She said trying to change the subject. "I'm working at a hot cocoa stand to try to raise money for a new expansion for the school. I haven't got the date yet, but it's soon!"

"Ah that. Maka? Could you make sure it's symmetrical, the school's expansion? Maybe you could let me have a peek at the blueprints?"

"Well there's no certain foundation yet, but of course! They're not classified. You are Shiningami-sama's son anyway."

People in heavy winter coats moved around them and bumped into them occasionally. Maka didn't seem to mind, but Kid got annoyed everytime someone bumped into him.

"Oh!" Maka's eyes lit up at once and she ran up to a storefront window with many glistening things inside. "Crona would like that! I know there's only fifteen days left until, Christmas, but.."

"What?" Kid walked up to her and leaned forward to see what she was pointing too.

"A Christmas calendar! The one with the pretty patterns on it. I already have a Christmas present for Crona but, this work as a before-Christmas present!"

"Let me go buy it really quick!" She was in and out of the store at an incredible speed, with an extra shopping bag in hand. "Well let's go home. You can come to my place for a little while. Maybe you could help me find where all my stuffs been going."

"Sure, I'd always be obliged to do a simple favor for someone like you, Maka."

"That's the spirit." They both smiled.

* * *

When Maka and Kid got home with at least a dozen shopping bags, Soul was sitting on the sofa looking up.

"Hey Soul!" Maka jumped up in delight and hid a blue bag behind her back. "No peeking. This is going in my room."

"Unless you loose it." Kid shrugged and set down a few bags he was carrying for Maka.

Soul frowned and turned offthe tv. Blair sat on the couch opposite of his, eating an apple and brushing her long purple hair. It was getting dark outside and street lamp lights flooded the apartment with a dim light. There was an awkward silence.

_**Knock Knock Knock.**_

A feeble knock came from the doorway and Maka spun around and opened the door with a cheerful smile.

"Hello Crona!" Maka greeted Crona and allowed admittance inside.

"H-ey Maka." Crona had one hand over the other arm and looked to the floor and back up to make eye contact.

"Ah, now everyone's here. Crona, Kid, my room. Come." Soul got up off the couch and ordered them to come to his room. Maka ran to her room to hide the things she bought in her closet.

The two followed with a hint of hesitation. First Crona, then Kid, stepped into the room. Finally, Soul, who had been waiting at the door, went inside and closed it.

"I want this talk to be short and give me the answers I need. Who's going out with Maka?"

"Eh?" Kid looked at Crona. Crona's eyes widened and he looked to Kid.

There was a more awkward silence then the one in the main room, after about twenty seconds someone finally spoke.

"Well it's not me." Kid put his hands up and looked Soul in the eyes.

"You mean to tell me, it's none of you?" Soul was doubtful.

"Maka spent the whole night at your place and came back the next morning and then goes shopping with you! And YOU!" Soul pointed to Crona. "Let me just remind you how you had lunch with her at-" He stopped. Soul then reminded himself that Maka had only spent the night there because Angela had caused too much snow to fall making entrance to the city impossible. The other fact was that Maka had spent so much time with Crona before Christmas vacation had started that it was nothing new.

"Listen Soul, it sounds as if you are a bit, no. A lot jealous and should just tell Makathat you care." He paused. Kid was stumbling on his words and changing his sentences. "You love her. Seriously, you think no one has noticed? Maka already knows you follow her everywhere. It's more than just a crush now, isn't it? Don't lie, a shiningami can tell." He finished, smiled, and looked up.

"You can't tell." Soul faced the wall and turned tried to avert his attention to a poster on the wall.

"But you don't have feelings for her and that's all I wanted to know." Soul snickered. "Why did you tell me that Crona was.. wait. Crona."

The Shiningami and the weapon looked at Crona who was seeming more nervous than usual.

"Crona?"

"Y-yyes?" Crona spoke softly.

"What is Maka to you?" Soul's gazed hardened.

"In that book you got me. It said that if I wanted to spend the rest of my life comforted by someone I cared about it said I would have to marry them. I want Maka to always be there by my side."

Kid grinned wider and waited for Soul's reaction.

"I want to marry Maka."

Soul didn't have time to react to Crona's answer. A sudden high-pitched scream came from Maka's room.

"SOMEONE'S IN THE APARTMENT! SOUL, COME HERE QUICK! THEY HAVE A KNIFE!"


	10. A Tranquil 14th Day

Today is a very sleepy day for me. I'll post this a little earlier than late at night, because I'm going to a Christmas Party.

Thanks for reading and revewing. I'm really looking forward to writing tomorrows chapter for all you CronaXMaka fans! This chapter may seem a little short though. :3

**14 Days Left! **Can you belive it? It seems so far away though!

* * *

The apartment room was cold as the winter air outside. Morning light drenched the apartment. Maka laid on the couch with a red blanket draped over her and an ice pack on her forehead. She opened her eyes with a weak attempt. _Why does my forehead hurt? _The first thing Maka saw was Soul. He was sitting on the same couch she was on, and

had his hands on his lap. He looked down at the floor. He was muttering something in a low voice.

"S-s-oul?" Maka's voice was weaker than she had expected.

"Maka!" Soul turned and smiled at her. "You are so pathetic." His smiled faded and his face was grim."How could you let that creep hurt you?"

"Wh-hat? I don't understand, Soul.."

"MAKA!" He yelled at her, when Tsubaki ran to him and pulled him away and onto the floor.

"Stop, Soul! You can't do that, she probably doesn't remember anything from last night. Don't worry, Maka, he's really upset. He's been worrying about you all night."

"All night?" Maka looked around the room. She hadn't noticed that all her friends were sitting there. Liz, Patty, and Kid were on the opposite couch, Black*Star was in the main chair and Tsubaki was now sitting on the couch next to Maka. Soul was sprawled against the floor by Tsubaki's boots. He squeaked in pain.

"No, I don't remember much. What happened?" Maka sat upright. Tsubaki aided her in staying that way.

"Well, a something was in your closet."

"Something?" Maka's eye's widened.

"Yes, I know how it seems. It took me by surprise too, I got a call around the time it happened last night. So did everyone else. We've been here all night. The police just left actually. They said you would be okay and there was no need for an ambulance. They questioned us all though, and they'll be here tonight to interrogate you."

"Yeah, all we could tell them was you said something about him having a knife, then we found you in your room, passed out, and the main door wide open. Blair had just gone to sleep so she didn't see anything." What Kid said was perplexing, but everyone just nodded.

"You know Maka, Soul is right. You are weak. You fought Asura and took how many blows to the head? You just let one guy take you out." Black*Star leaned back in the chair putting his feet up. Soul got up from the floor and went to his room. He closed to door, but no one seemed to notice his absence.

"From what the police said, he struck you on the forehead and you blacked out. Tsubaki handed Maka a glass of water. "They said it was either a witch or kishin."

"They didn't know the motive though." Kid crossed his arms.

"Kishin? Witch? No, not at all. It had to have been a man." Maka took a small sip of water and rubbed her head. "I think I remember. He was just a man. A kishin or witch would have killed me right away."

Maka's eyes went directly over to Kid. Something about their conversation, the previous night made her nervous.

"I'm not going to talk about this anymore. Just forget it. Thank you guys."

"MAKAAAAA" Spirit rushed into the apartment making the door crash onto the ground.

"NOOO!" Kid yelled rushing to the door's aid and examining it for any asymmetrical cracks.

"Papa. I just bought a new door, you're paying for the next one if it's broken." Maka flinched as her father hugged her.

"Don't worry Maka. I'll buy you a new door with a lock, no two locks, and a number code with-"

Maka stood up, much to everyone's surprise. She yawned and put her hands over her head.

"I feel like taking a girls day out. Tsubaki? Liz? Patty? You up to it?"

"Of course!" Was their hesitant answer. None of them was sure what had come over Maka to ask a question like that. She had just woken up!

"Are you sure your healthy enough to be walking around?" Liz asked standing up and grabbing her crème colored coat.

"OF COURSE SHE IS SIS!" Patty patted her sister on the back. "The nice policemen said she was okay enough not to go to the hospital!"

"Mhmm. Just asking, it's kind of a random request." Liz slid the coat over her shoulders.

"Maka, be careful." Black*Star grumbled. "If this man was after you don't you think it's dangerous to be going out in public?"

"Thanks for your concern but I have two pistols and a ninja sword with me." She said dryly grabbing her purse from the main counter.

"You really are acting like nothing happened." Black*Star turned over to face her, while Spirit spoke up.

"Maka you should stay here and rest! Your father could read to you all of your favorite stories and then maybe you'll like me more!" Maka's father beamed, clasping both his hands together.

"Oh please, just fix the door by the time I get back." Maka grabbed her light jacket and stepped over the collapsed door. Kid was still examining it for fractures.

* * *

Tsubaki sighed. Liz twirled her hair. Patty skipped playfully holding both Liz and Tsubaki's hand. Maka walked next to Patty. They all walked side by side down the street to the café. None of them felt like talking or knew what to talk about.

They got to the café door and Tsubaki allowed Maka to enter first. Next, Liz and Patty entered. They all sat down at a coffee table and then there conversation began.

"I'll buy everyone coffee." Liz offered, reaching into her wallet.

"Thanks." Smiled Tsubaki and Maka.

"No problem, it's the least I can do. Maka, I'm really concerned about your condition though. You were passed out all night, woke up and the first thing you wanted to do was to have a girl's day out. That's just plain strange."

"I do not want to recover by laying on a couch all day having people wait over me." Maka shrugged. "I wanted out of that apartment so bad, I wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. I must admit I am a _little_ scared."

"Scared? You? You're one of the greatest miesters in Shibusen!" Tsubaki spoke.

"Thank you, but there is just something that scares me about this whole thing." Maka blushed at the compliment.

"It's okay!" Patty chimed in. "It's okay! The bad man's not gonna hurt you!"

"I'll go buy us coffee." Liz stood up. " I know all of your orders, don't worry. Patty gets a banana smoothie with extra sprinkles and whipped cream, for you Tsubaki, a light Chai latte. Maka, what would you like?

"Chamomile tea, please."

Liz nodded and went to go purchase the drinks. Maka looked over to Tsubaki and Patty.

"Oh I almost forgot! I didn't give Crona the present I bought last night! Where was Crona anyway?"

"I heard Crona ran from the scene right when Soul and Kid found you. Do you think Crona followed the guy?" Tsubaki said.

"POOR CRONA!" Patty flopped down into the couch cushions.

"It's possible, Tsubaki. All I hope for is that Crona is okay." Maka confessed and stared out the window.

"I'm sure, it'll be alright." Tsubaki smiled warmly and flipped her pony tail back. "But don't worry about that, worry more about yourself. A man snuck into your apartment last night and your acting like it was nothing."

"It was nothing and I don't want to talk about it!" Maka crossed her arms and put one leg over the other. "Ok. Let's just leave it at that okay. I'm not _that_ scared." _I don't want them to know how much I really am frightened. A little bit, I'll admit, but not that much._ _I don't want them to think I am a coward._

"Maka I-I" Tsubaki stopped what she was saying and was quite. Tsubaki wanted to know more about the subject but was afraid she was going to upset her friend. "Lets go to the day spa next, It's on me."

"Yay!" Patty exclaimed. Maka seemed to like the idea too.

"Oh that sounds good, I need a manicure." Liz walked back with the drinks and set them in front of everyone. Exclamations of "_That was fast_" and "_Looks good_!" were said around the table followed by "_Mmmmm_" sounds.

Patty looked from Maka to Tsubaki."We can talk about all sorts of things! Clothes, Christmas presents, …boys." She aimed the last word at Maka and Tsubaki.

"Haha, sounds fun." Maka laughed. "Except for the boys, part."

"Having some relationship issues, Maka?" Liz smirked.

"We'll be there to help you!" Tsubaki said reassuringly.

"I don't want to talk about that." Maka leaned back and took another sip of tea.

"You sure don't want to talk about much today." Tsubaki sighed and gulped down the rest of her coffee.

"What about you?" Liz asked, handing Patty a napkin so she could take all the whipped cream and sprinkles off her face. Patty's face was completely covered so she looked like she had a beard.

"About?" Tsubaki obviously didn't want to answer.

"You and Black*Star." Liz said relaxing her shoulders. "You like Black*Star, but that she-wolf, Myuki is in the way. She just got over the stomach flu, actually so things might get really serious between the two."

"Stomach f-lu?" Tsubaki seemed tense. "Is that it? Hmmm."

"Yes." Maka nodded. _I wonder what Myuki is like._

"Maka, I know we just got here, but are you almost done with your tea?" Liz seemed anxious.

"Yeah." Maka sipped the last of it. "Why?"

"I'd like to get to the spa. I'm just dying to get my nails done maybe my toes." She raised one of her boots off the floor slightly and pointed to it.

"Mudbath! Mudbath!" Patty jumped up.

"I'm paying." Maka announced, looking at Tsubaki. "But just so you know, your guys' presents are going to be really cheap!" Everyone laughed for a minute and they walked out the door. The snow was falling harder than before.

Maka decided to put on her favorite blue hat. She hadn't noticed it until now but she was wearing the exact same clothes from yesterday, so her hat must be stuffed inside her pocket. She reached inside, but found it was empty. Whoever it was, that broke into her apartment last night, might have been there just to take small useless things such as her blouse, a picture of her and Crona, her favorite pencil, a set of her sneakers, a bag of pretzels she has been eating, and her old pillowcase.

Maka noticed more important things of hers were not taken, like her purse or any household valuables. _Where is my hat though? In addition, this must mean that whoever it was had to have been in our apartment before._


	11. The Change on the 13th Day

Hmmm, notes from the author on this one? Yes. Quite a few, actually!

I wanted to fit so many things in here but none of them seemed to fit properly so I ended up leaving out so much stuff, especially about the monster! Finally we get to see the main antagonist in his _monster_ form. All I could think of was him looking like a overly-large voodoo doll, which will play out later.

In additionn, I was originally going to have Maka find Crona at the very end of the last chapter with her screaming. "SOUL? WHY DID YOU LOCK CRONA IN THE CLOSET?" But decided this played in better (I haven't exactly followed my basic plot).

Finally, I wanted to make the battle grounds fair for both Soul and Crona. This chapter will even it out quite a bit so CroMa or SoMa is still possible either way, whichever one I decide on in the end...

Finally Finally, I'm still trying to keep the humor and romance as the story darkens up.. Right now it's still at the fluffy stage. _Tomorrow should change everything._

* * *

It was dark where Crona was, an uncomfortable darkness. Something painful was wedged up against Crona's right elbow. C_ould it be the handle of a drill?_

The shadows engulfed his whole body, and even though it was frightening, it gave him time to knew he was doing this for Maka. He had also decided to start referring to himself as a 'he'. This would make the chances better for him and Maka to be together.

Crona knew he could handle it. He was doing this for Maka. No matter how tight a space he was in, or how many storage boxes poked him in the side of his head, he would endure it. _For Maka._

Crona thought back to what had happened two nights ago at the apartment.

* * *

"I want to marry Maka." Crona meant it, too. He really did want to be with Maka forever. She made him feel so good inside. Her husband would only get in the way, if she were ever married to someone else. Crona knew he could never let that happen, he knew he needed to take a stand. Thank you Soul for getting me that book, it really helped!

A sudden high-pitched scream came from Maka's room, and Crona flinched.

"SOMEONE'S IN THE APARTMENT! SOUL, COME HERE QUICK! THEY HAVE A KNIFE!"

Crona was the first to run out of Soul's room. His usually very timid actions were replaced with leaps and bounds down the short hall until he got to Maka's room. Maka was in a pitiful state. She lay, sprawled across the floor of her room with a shopping bag on top of her stomach. Her hands were crippled into tiny fists and her legs were bent awkwardly as if she had stumbled backwards. On top of her forehead was a giant bruise.

Crona's mind spun rapidly. _Was she dead?_

A tall dark figure out of the corner of his eyes moved rapidly. It was out the door before any recognition was possible. So was Crona.

The hallway was dark and gloomy. The lights were out. It was as if a power outage had taken place, but only in the hallway. The only dim light Crona saw came from outside the windows on both ends of the hallway, the lamplight reflected off the glistening snow. A draft came from the west end of the corridor.

"R-R-Ragnarok. C-come out." Crona's teeth chattered violently as he stepped down the west side of the hall.

"C'mmin'.. C'mmin' JJeeeze!" Ragnarok shot out of Crona's spine. His beady eyes looked around. "Crona! This hallway is dark! Turn the lights on!"

"I can't. The b-breaker b-box for this level is on the end of the hall by the s-s-sstaircase!"

"Well g' on and get over there!" Ragnarok crossed his tiny arms.

"D-demonic Sword mode." Crona softly ordered. He could hear Soul and Kid shouting something back and forth. They were probably helping Maka. Maka! A sudden burst of energy came over him when he thought about her name and he ran down the hallway. Ragnarok in his trembling hands.

"He probably already got away, idiot." Ragnarok growled.

"No he's still here." Crona opened a door and entered the dark stair well. There was no light there whatsoever. It was pitch black. "I can feel his soul wavelength, it's just one man."

"WELL TURN THE LIGHTS ON!"

"Shhh! Ragnarok! Don't make that much noise!" Crona kept forgetting that it was impossible to shut Ragnarok's mouth. "I'm looking! I'm looking!" The light switch that Crona was flipping on and off evidently did not work. He then felt for the breaker box on the side of the staircase and found it. "I got it!"

Crona squinted, but the darkness prevented him from seeing much. "Ah! Yes! Wait! No! The cord to the hallway and the stairwell has been cut" Crona moaned. Ragnarok was very annoyed and muttered something foul.

"I can sense the man's soul wavelength! It's right over." Crona stopped. "In front of us." There was silence, but a large eerie presence was in front of the two. The demon sword sighed.

"Well I was saving it for an emergency…. But there's a match in your left boot." Ragnarok admitted.

"AND YOU DIDN'T THINK THAT THIS WAS AN EMERGENCY?" Crona yelled into the darkness.

Crona reached into his right boot and sure enough was a tiny match. He set the match in his palm, clutched it tightly, and ran his fingernail down the side. It lit up immediately allowing only a small amount of light.

A giant sewn face was right in front of Crona's, about a foot away. No breath came from it's switched mouth. It's face was twisted into an everlasting grin sustained by many intertwining threads. The creature's eyes were large x's and it's whole body was a patch worked messed of different cloths.

Crona gasped. It was definitely a kishin, but had the same soul wavelength as a man. _It had to be a man._

In that same instant, the match went out and the stunned miester and his weapon were left in the darkness. Crona didn't try to follow it as he heard it's large, prickly, needle-like feet scurry down the stairs. He just felt for the rail and the doorknob again.

The light in the outside hallway was beautiful, Crona savored every bit of it. He stumbled down the hall to Soul and Maka's apartment door, which was half open. It was right then when he started to breath again.

"C-Crona? What the hell was THAT?" Ragnarok was screeching and trembling in Crona's hand, but he got no reply from his miester. Crona just went to his own apartment, opened the door, and disappeared behind it.

* * *

Crona changed positions so that his arm bent over what might be a shelf. He was still being jabbed in the elbow by a drill. He was not happy, whatsoever. _What did I do to deserve this? All I had wanted to do was make sure Maka was okay!_

No matter how many times he said her wonderful name he could not erase the terrifying thing that he had met that night. He did not know what it was or how to deal with it, but he had had two days to freak out and now he should be fine. _It was only a dream,_ was his final conclusion.

"SOUL? SOOOOOOUUUUUL?" Maka's voice sounded from outside where Crona was stuffed.

"Maka?" Crona whimpered. All thoughts of the monster in the stairway had completely evaded his mind. "MAKA!"

"Hmm? Is that you Crona? Where are you?" Maka's voice was definitely closer and he could now hear her footsteps. Then he heard the doorknob turn and the door opened. Crona fell out and onto the hallway floor.

"CRONA? Why were you in the storage closet?" Maka put her hand up to her mouth.

"I came over here yesterday night to see how you were and tell you something, but when I got here it was just Soul. He um… stuffed me in the closet."

"You've been here all night? Oh Crona! I'm so sorry!" Maka dropped a bag she was carrying and helped him up. Her hands were icy cold, but he enjoyed every moment of her friendly act.

"T-th-ank you." Crona smiled weakly. "So you weren't here last night?"

"No, Tsubaki, Liz, Patty and I had a sleepover at Gallow's Mansion. We had a girl's day out, but I wish I had stayed here! Soul's going to get a huuuuuge Maka chop when he gets back from wherever he is!"

"Don't. He was just angry. I forgive him, besides I'm with you know." Crona smiled and helped her carry her bag to the front counter. _I'm all alone with her I don't know how to deal with this._

"Thank you, Crona." Maka smiled.

"Yeah, no problem." _I can't tell her how I feel. I can't tell her how I feel._

"Hey Crona take this."Maka handed him a small neatly wrapped gift. "It's okay. You can open it before Christmas." _I CAN tell her how I feel! I CAN tell her how I feel!_

"Hey, I'd like you to know." Crona clutched the gift tightly, shifted a hand upward to grasp his other arm. "I'd like you to know that I-I. I am referring to myself as a boy now o-okay?"

"But Crona, I thought you had no specific sex. What happened to make this change?" She turned to one of the cabinets and took out a bag of microwave popcorn. "Hmm?"

He cringed slightly. _You._

"Oh!" Crona mumbled looking down. "I'm not really a boy or a girl. I knew after Soul explained that I didn't have-"

"OOOoookay Crona." Maka turned around. "Movie-theater style or regular?"

"Regular, please. Well, I guess it's because I really look up to Soul and Black*Star a lot, so I figured I want to be more like them. They are really strong and really good fighters."

"And I'm not?" Maka stuck the bag into the microwave and pressed some buttons, it began to rotate. Her voice was tainted with something that Crona could not detect.

"No! No! You're a perfect fighter! The best miester I know!" Crona turned away. "OOooohhhhh... This is not going well."

"Crona, it's okay I know exactly what you mean!" Maka turned around smiling, but she noticed her friend was not there. The newly fixed door was open and he was gone. Maka felt sad swell inside her, because deep down, she wanted Crona around.

Crona walked down the hallway. The lights were back on, but the chill that was there two nights before, remained. He unraveled the gift slightly so he took look at the contents inside. It was a small Christmas calendar. He blushed and held it close.

"Only thirteen days until Christmas, Maka, and I'll love you every one of those days."


	12. The Interloper on the 12th Day

Here's a little joke for all those who know a tad bit of Latin, Brevis means short or small like abbreviate, brief, ext; and Asha for all those who know a little Arabic means 'life'. Making the name Asha Brevis a suitable name for the victim of this chapter.

Again, just a little note for all those who are catching all those little things throughout the story so far. & for those who already have figured out the murderer.

Also, a tip for everyone else who likes writing -try to base your writing off of an emotion you are feeling right at that very moment. (For example, I am writing off a freaked-out emotion because all the phones downstairs are ringing saying that someone upstairs is calling... and when I got down stairs and turned the phones off, the ones upstairs started ringing. No one else is in my house...)

Anyway... 12 Days Left! **Hope you ENJOY! :)**

* * *

"Hello? Kid? It's three in the morning! What?"

Soul could hear Maka talking on the phone in the main room. He buried his head in his pillow. Whatever it was, it'd better not interfere with his sleep.

"WHAT!" Maka's voice raised an octave.

He heard the phone beep once, and drop to the floor. He could hear Maka's footsteps coming rapidly down the hall. _Please don't come in here.. Please don't come in here.. Let me sleeeep._

The door to Soul's room slammed open and he looked up to see Maka'sworried face. He knew it was bad news and immediately forgot about his sleepiness.

"What is it Maka?" Soul muttered drowsily.

"There's been a murder at the academy."

* * *

Maka hugged Soul tightly she buried her face into the back of his coat. The motorcycle came to a halt and the two got off. Shibusen after dark with the cold snow coming down was quite ominous.

"Hurry! Liz, Patty, and Kid are inside, Kid might be on to whoever did this."

"Listen. If this is just a murder why aren't the police involved?" Soul walked up the steps a few paces behind his miester.

"You may not have noticed, but where at the academy, this is definitely a job for the students. Besides there may be a kishin that has infiltrated the academy." Maka opened the main door.

"You think it's the same guy in your closet?" Soul had no answer, instead Maka continued into the building. A bright light met the two when they first walked inside. It seemed every single light was on in the main entrance.

The most shocking difference was how festive the place looked. Ribbons and Tinsel were surrounded by tiny shiningami masks and strung around the ceiling. Bells and chimes were above some doorways while in certain corners mistletoe was hung.

"Woah, if no one's gonna be here, why'd they even bother with the fancy get up?" Soul paused a brief second to take in his surroundings. His partner was already running down the nearest corridor.

"Hurry up SOUL!" Maka shouted waving her hand in mid-air. "GET your lazy butt over here and down the basement!"

Soul followed the sound of her voice and came to a large door. A sign read, "_Basement_, " right above where he was standing. He sighed and started down the stairs. They were short and narrow steps and it took a while to navigate down them all, but when he did, he found himself in a large area. It was damp and dark, but her could hear murmurs coming from a passage just ahead of him.

"Wooooah! Look at all the blood, sis!"

"That's really not something to be interested by, Patty, it sounds disgusting."

"Whoever did this is truly sick."

Soul entered the room and his eyes flew open wide. The storage room was lit up, not with the dim light that was on, but by the blood inside. The remains of a small skull were scattered across the floor, stained crimson which must have been her blood. Several organs were splayed across the wall and on top of shelves and boxes. Blood was smeared against the wall in a weird pattern which read in it's Japanese characters. "_Weapon, Miester, Weapon, Miester."_

He covered his mouth and nose with his right hand as the fresh scent of blood filled his nostrils. He felt dizzy and bent over, his eyes flew up to see Black*Star, Tsubaki, Myuki, Liz, Patty, Kid, and Maka standing over him.

"It took me a few seconds to adjust too." Maka rubbed to back of her head. "I'm used to blood.. but this is just gross."

"It's also another reason for the police not to be involved. This is a capable murderer. Kishin or not, this is something for the DWMA to handle." Kid crossed his arms and looked down. He tapped his black shoe on the other to scrape off the remains of what Soul thought to be an eyeball. _Sickening._

Kid turned and faced the other way. "Yes, it's true I'm used to death, but this whole stunt makes even someone like me want to faint."

"Can we go now, Kid? We've found enough clues already." Patty shivered and closed her eyes.

"No, we most certainly cannot!" He rubbed his fingers through his black and white-striped hair. "Any comments Maka? We think he might strike again."

"The writing on the wall seems peculiar." Maka still seemed a little lightheaded as she wobbled up to the blood-stained wall. "Miester, Weapon, Miester, Weapon. Hmm.. Who died?"

"Asha Brevis, second year, class 2-A, one star miester. Weapon, Tobais DuFable, also second year, in class 3-A, a class of French knife. Profile, semi tall, brunette, dark blue eyes." Kid talked on and then showed a picture of the girl to everyone in the room. _She looks familiar_, Soul thought. She certainly looks nothing like she does now.

"I've heard of Asha. She was a good student, but why was she targeted?" Tsubaki turned to Maka and Kid for answers.

"Who knows, but whatever it is, we can assume a weapon is next on the list." Kid replied grimly pointing to the writing on the wall. Patty hugged her sister tightly. Tsubaki cringed and even Myuki looked awfully nervous. _I hope I don't look like them. It wouldn't be cool._

"It's alright. This big STAR will protect you!" Black*Star tried to calm Myuki down, by putting his arm around her shoulder, but she swiftly refused. Tsubaki looked over with interest.

"This strange thing about all of this, is it happened inside of Shibusen." Kid muttered on still studying the carnage around the room. "Either the murder happened here, which brings up the question, "what was she doing here?" or… Or, The murderer killed her elsewhere, and staged this whole thing. Maybe to leave a message for his next victim, a member of Shibusen."

"Well he did write on the wall." Liz flipped her hair out of her eyes.

"Liz, Patty go search Asha's apartment. See if you can find any hints of homicide there." Kid turned to face Myuki. "You, Tsubaki and Maka will investigate upstairs. Black*Star, Soul and I will stay here and have a little chat. I know it's different for me to be separating you from your partners, but trust me on this."

"Who made you leader?" Soul sighed but followed orders. He stayed behind and watch the others depart until it was just Kid and Black*Star.

"We can assume, whoever did this, if not a Kishin egg already, is on there way to becoming one. I want you to inform all your partners if they know anything, to come to me right away. I have been doing some research on this matter. I didn't think it would come to the academy though."

"What do you mean?" Black*Star asked with great curiosity.

"Well, the academy isn't the only place in Death City that harbors weapons and miesters. As you know, Black*Star, Myuki is a weapon and she goes to the public school on the east side of town. St. Francis is it?"

"Yeah, your point is?" Black*Star got annoyed by this and he shifted his weight to his other leg.

"Well there are girls and boys out there who don' want to accept the fact of what they are or don't want to use their powers. For some, their families don't allow it. Well, about ten days ago, a girl, supposedly some sort of weapon, was found in a similar state."

"Where?" Soul asked.

"St. Francis." Kid replied dismally.

"Maybe that's why Myuki's been so jumpy lately." Black*Star seemed proud he had figured out the answer. "She might've been a close classmate or friend!"

"Maybe."

"So we know he has gone after girls lately. The weapon girl, a miester…"

"A weapon.." Soul whispered.

"Exactly." Kid turned and stared off at the wall. He looked completely bewildered.

There was a silence around the bloody room. The three stood looking around and trying to figure out of the culprit had left any more hints. Soul didn't like where things were going. This was going to be a depressing Christmas break, and if they didn't figure it out, maybe the rest of the year.

"All we can do now is wait. If the pattern follows, we can assume it is ten days until the next murder." Kid spoke in merely a whisper.

"Hopefully." Soul sighed.

"We should get going. Maybe we can catch up with the girls." Black*Star headed for the door. "Besides I'M gonna get sick soon if we stay here any longer." He pointed to himself.

Kid and Soul said nothing and started to walk out. Soul looked down, just before they left and noticed something in the corner of the room. It was a tiny figure and was probably a left-out Christmas decoration, but it was enough for him to rush over, bend down, and see what it was.

A tiny voodoo-looking doll lay in a pool of Asha's crimson blood. It was poorly made. The fabric was withered and grimy-looking with patchwork coming off. The strings that held it together were loose and intertwined with one another. Two button eyes were stitched on it's tiny head and it looked like actual rodent teeth were sewed on for it's mouth. A lock of brown hair was attached to what seemed to be it's forehead and a demonic presence seemed to be about the doll.

"Kid.." Soul gasped. "I think you should come see this."


	13. An Amiable 11th Day

Hope you enjoy the 11th Day until Christmas! I can not wait to write tomorrow's "_A Hexing 10th Day_". Theres a little surprise at the end of that I think you all may like! :)

And if you all really really want to know who the killer is, just re-read the whole story so far. _Something may pop out at you, that you didn't notice before._

Thanks for reading so far! -_Wolfie_

* * *

"C'mon Maka! You can't be serious! Your even more disgusting than the killer! Just yesterday some girl's carnage was all over the basement and here you are just happily skipping along with some hot cocoa boxes in your arms… Maka… really?" Soul trotted uneasily behind her, by about a few feet. He just wanted to be sure there were no books in any of the boxes she was carrying.

"Soul, I happen to be very worried, but I promised I would help with the winter festival. This is a good time to relax."

"This doesn't sound like you at all Maka! You're the one who's always high strung about the little things but recently a man has snuck into your closet a girl's been murdered in Shibusen and mysteriously all your things have gone missing! How can you not be helping Kid with the investigation."

"It's Christmas." Was Maka's dry reply as she set down the boxes on a bare stand. The stand was only about as high as a small kid standing up and was in a square formation so that about two or three could fit inside.

"It's Christmas?" Soul muttered. "What a lame excuse." Soul turned his head and looked at the scenery around him. They were at the west side of the square, before the entrance to the small park and about a block away from the giant fountain. Other merchants and shopkeepers were setting up stands and taking out boxes. It was quite early in the morning and the sun was just barely peeking it's head above the clouds.

Soul had to admit it was kind of beautiful outside. The air was chilly and a little gloomy, but a slow and steady mist was already forming around the square. He twisted back to see Maka glaring at him. "Whaat?"

"You could've helped unload you know. I'm almost halfway done taking out the table cloth and the sign."

"Oh right!" Soul helped Maka unfold all three table cloths and spread them on all the surfaces. Then, together they nailed the sign above the stand and slowly began to take the hot cocoa pot out.

"Be careful! After this could you go fill it up at the park pump over there?" Maka pointed behind a vendor to a small pump. "Just fill it to about here." She used her hands to show him where to fill it too. "Then bring it back so I can add the mix. We'll be open by six. Hopefully, Liz and Patty will get here soon!"

"They're working the first shift, huh?" Soul took out a few pieces of a Noel Sign.

"Yup, Then Tsubaki and Black*Star are taking the third, but I think Myuki's also helping. I'll be walking around checking up on them if they need help. Ox and Harvar take the third shift. Crona and I take the fourth shift. The festival is all day so we'll keep on repeating.

"Sounds cool." Soul said as he shifted through one of the boxes. "Er, Maka. Where's the E and the L on the Noel sign?"

"They're missing?" Maka rummaged through the other boxes. "Oh no! I must've dropped them!" Soul burst out laughing. He picked up the cooler to contain the hot water and laughed even harder as he started walking to the pump.

"What is it Soul?" Maka's eyes narrowed.

"Well.. it's just." He kept on laughing. "I guess there really is no EL!" Soul was promptly hit in the head by some sort of book, but he was careful not to break the container.

"Geeze. Maka." Soul lifted himself off the ground and made it to the pump. He turned the handle and water shot out the spigot into the container. It was then that he saw them. They were far away, by about a block, but there was no mistaking it. Tsubaki and Myuki were arguing next to the fountain. Their voices were raised, but not by much. They seemed to be very animated in their quarrel though.

Soul immediately forgot about the container and took off, running down the block to see what was going on. He kept his eyes focused as he ran and soon he was on the edge of a crowd. He looked onward as Myuki screamed a very rude insult at Tsubaki.

"So just forget it and leave." Myuki crossed her arms.

"No I will NOT! Black*Star agreed to be my partner and that's how it is! Miesters and weapons aren't just separated like that! If you were a true Shibusen student you would know something like that!" Tsubaki clenched her fists.

"Then maybe if I take care of you here, then they'll be no more distractions!" Myuki half transformed in a blaze of light. Her arms both became two well crafted blades of a kama. One of her eyes glinted red in the morning sunlight, and before Tsubaki had a chance to change, Myuki leapt forth into the air. She hovered above Tsubaki for a split second but sailed back down behind her and plunged a blade at Tsubaki's head.

Tsubaki dodged two different times, but at the third time she ducked and allowed a blade to sail above her own head. "SMOKE BOMB!" Tsubaki transformed at that moment into a tiny bomb and the whole block was covered by a thick smoke screen denser than the morning mist.

"COWARD!"

"ACKKAAA!"

Soul leaned to one side trying to see what was going on. Tsubaki was turned back into her human form and was trying to use martial arts. The two girls continued to leap at each other and try to take a blow, although Myuki's attacks were more with purpose than Tsubaki's. Tsubaki seemed to not be trying to harm her, but Myuki showed much hate in her eyes every time she swung her arm at Tsubaki's head. Soul wondered if Myuki would actually give Tsubaki a fatal wound.

The smoke dissipated just enough for the fight to be visible by the crowd again. Just when Myuki was going to strike Tsubaki in the abdomen, her foot shot upwards and kicked her opponent. Tsubaki shot backwards and landed in the fountain.

"ACK!" Tsubaki spit out some water. She was soaking wet and her eyes were mere slits. Soul had never seen her so angry. That's when Black*Star walked up.

"Tsubaki? Myuki?" Black*Star was stunned to see them. "What's going on?"

"Tsubaki lunged at me all violent like. She got jealous of me and wanted you all to herself." Myuki transformed back and her eyes widened and she looked like a little girl begging for something. Black*Star gasped. Murmurs of 'boooo' were spread among the multitude of people around the fountain.

"No, that's not true Black*Star." Soul ran up and pointed at Myuki. "The little freak's just playin' innocent."

"Not true, big brother." She frowned and tears swelled in her eyes. She was a good actress.

"I-I." Tsubaki began crying and tears trickled down her already wet face. "Yes. It's true." He head bent down in shame. Even though Soul hadn't seen the beginning of the fight he knew this was not true. Tsubaki was too kind to do something like that. Before Soul could finish his thoughts she began talking again. "It's true, I did get jealous, but I did not attack Myuki. That's a lie."

"Whaa?" Myuki panted from the previous fight. "She's making it up!"

"Myuki get over it, dumb ass. Tsubaki never lies." Black*Star pivoted and went to help Tsubaki out of the fountain. Myuki stopped, stared for a minute and ran away, crying. Soul smiled. He hated that dumb little sissy. She was finally out of his life, and hopefully, this would be the last time she saw her pretty little face.

"Don't WORRY TSUBAKI! THE ONE AND ONLY BLACK*STAR IS HERE!" Black*Star was back to his old ambitious self. He stood up on the side of the fountain to make a big scene, but the crowd was already dissipating. Tsubaki leaned out of the fountain leaned against his shoulder and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you." She whispered. Soul turned and walked from the square, but the walk soon turned into a run. He had forgotten all about the water jug. Tsubaki had her happy ending, but his ending would be a lot worse if he didn't get his butt over there soon.

When he arrived, the jar was gone and for a minute he thought it had been stolen. Walking, stealthily, back to the stand he saw Maka serving the first few customers with the cooler and the "No" sign next to her. He was glad she had went to go get it. Soul decided to make his approach.

"Soooo… Maka…."

"HOW COME YOU DIDN'T COME BACK SOON? A COMPLETE STRANGER CAME UP AND ASKED ME IF THIS" She pointed a finger at the hot water container. "WAS MINE! Good thing some people care."

"Yeah sorry, I was reckless. I saw Tsubaki and Myuki fighting so I went to see what was going on." Soul leaned next to the stand.

"Fill me in on the details later!" Maka sounded interested, but had customers to tend to. "I wonder where Liz and Patty are! I wish they'd hurry!"

"Oh hello, Maka." Miss Marie stopped by the stand and handed Maka two dollars. "One for Stein and one for me."

"Sure, anything." Maka smiled warmly and poured her some of the hot chocolate. The steam rose up to the top of the stand and joined the mist. "Want a candy cane with it? It's best when you use it to stir!"

"Sure." Miss Marie took the two Styrofoam cups. "Keep up the good work! I look forward to the expansion." She walked out into the crowd. A few minutes later, Professor Stein pushed his way through.

"Maka! Is that you? Good!" Stein spoke softly. "Any news on the murder of Asha?" Maka shook her head in reply. "Crap. Okay. Thought you might know. Anyway have you seen Marie?"

Maka nodded and said she just passed by a few minutes ago with a cup of cocoa for him.

"I'll come by later and get a cup for myself, do you know which way she went?"

"Hmm.. I think she went towards the fancy clothing store across the street, so that's North."

Stien took off, running at a high speed in the general Southern direction, cutting straight across the hedge in the park. Soul chuckled to himself.

"You know, Soul. If you're just going to stand there. Why don't you at least be festive?"

"I'm wearing red."

Maka leaned over and placed a Santa hat on his white spiky hair. She pulled it down so it barely came above his eyes.

"What the hell is this?"

"Oh good! Customers!" Maka went back to vending the hot beverages. "Yes, that's one dollar a cup. All funds go to Shibusen. We're planning on building a new building. Yessim! Here you are." Maka handed out a cup of hot cocoa each, to a mother and her children. "Sooul! Don't take the hat off!"

"Hey Soul. "S'up Maka." Liz walked over. "I think it's our shift." Patty ran up behind her older sister.

"Aww Soul-chan! You look so cute!" Patty teased the little white part of the hat with her finger. Soul pushed her away.

"Well, here's the stand. I explained everything to you this morning, and I'll be back in twenty minutes to see how things are going okay?"

"YEAH!" Patty leaped into the air.

"Yeah, sounds good. Liz walked behind the stand and put on an apron over her coat.

"Aw, sis you look hot!" Patty kept on talking while Soul and Maka walked away.

"So, Black*Star's dating Tsubaki now?" Maka asked as she held onto Soul's arm. It was no big deal. She was just cold.

"Heh. I'll explain as we go. Maybe we can see the lighting of the big tree tonight. Wanna come with me?"

"Sure, I'd like that." She squeezed tighter and then let go. Soul smiled.

"Can Crona come too?" She looked up at him. "I've been meaning to tell Crona something for a long time. I wanted to last night, but never got the chance."

"Uh. Sure." Soul seemed a little tense. He didn't know what Maka wanted to tell Crona, but it had to be important. Soul wondered if Crona had told his true feelings to Maka yet. He had to stop this, he just couldn't let Maka and Crona get all lovey dovy. He wasn't jealous though, not like Tsubaki was of Black*Star and Myuki. This was different, he wasn't in love. Crona and him weren't rivals. Besides, he was Maka's partner, that means no matter what Crona did he was always going to be closer to Maka. He was like Tsubaki in this way, and Maka was like Black*Star

He thought back to the fountain, where Tsubaki had promptly kissed Black*Star on the cheek. He paused in his steps and his face turned bright red. He wished he hadn't compared himself to Tsubaki and miester to Black*Star.

"Soul? Your face is all red… are you coming down with a cold?" Maka asked, trying to look him in the eyes. He looked the other way avoiding her gaze. Even though the weather was cool, this situation was not.


	14. A Hexing 10th Day

I have no comments on this chapter, I really don't have any.

Thanks for all the Reviews and Comments! :)

**Only 10 Days left untill CHRISTMAS! :D**

* * *

"Do you have the files? I've been wanting to see them for days now." Stein asked.

Two dark figures stood in the alley. It was not night, just a plain afternoon. The air was a little warm today, as if two witches had been slacking on their snow duties. The alley was on the east side of town, the shadowy part, right off of one of the main market streets. Kid and Stein were standing next to each other. Kid had a file in his hands.

"I've been following this for about half a year now. I never thought it would have ever come to this."

"I always knew it would, someday." Professor Stein looked across Kid's shoulder. "Where'd you get that cut?" Kid's shoulder was in a bad shape, it was bleeding through the light colored shirt he was wearing.

"I got into some trouble, trying to get these files." Was his reply.

"Kid, you're going through too much. This is just one kishin so far. If we can catch him alive, then I can run some experiments…" Stein did not grin, he just looked onward down the street.

"My only question is, professor, how did they come to be like this? I've always thought of kishin as stupid, powerful beasts with special capabilities and evil souls.."

"Yes. It's true that once one's soul has gone beyond saving, they become kishin, but this is different. It's almost like a new race." Stein murmured. "If we can catch this one before the virus spreads or it multiplies, than we may be able to stop the whole thing." Kid smiled at what Stein said. "Does something amuse you, Kid?"

"Yes. You can't even tell me what this kishin has. Is it a virus or just a genetic mutation." Kid's smirk faded. "Yes there is just one right now, that we know of."

"This is huge. Imagine." Stein faced the cobblestone street. "A long, long time ago, there was one witch. She was the ancestor of all other witches right? She was the first of her kind, an outcast, really. But all the same, she had magical properties."

"The first witch." Kid gasped.

"What if that witch was killed before she could reproduce? What if she had no decedents? A chill went down the alley again.

"Then, there would be no witches today. Medusa, Arachne, they would never have caused us any trouble. The world would have been a lot safer." Kid understood and immediately waited for what else Stein had to say.

"If we can stop this one kishin, the one that is so powerful right now, before it can go on and spread, we could save the world a great deal of trouble." The professor sighed and asked for the files Kid was carrying, again. "Can you imagine? A new breed of powerful kishin that has mastered soul protect.."

"No, I still can't believe it. If they don't use magic, us miesters can't detect them, and their ruthless nature will allow them to kill and kill and kill!"

"This one." Said Stein as he got more intrested in what he was talking about. "Seems to be thinking, I mean, actually using an evil twisted brain of sorts. It's planning every move and making a pattern into it."

"That's why I need these files." Stein flipped through them cautiously. "Thank you for going through so much trouble to get these. The pattern is in here, right?"

Kid nodded dourly.

"What can you tell me about the pattern so far?" The professor inquired, getting ready to walk back down the alley.

"The pattern is: weapon, miester, weapon, miester. It is currently on weapon. A girl gets a doll of herself ten days prior to her death. I have acquired one of these dolls, you should find it wrapped up in the file I gave you. The kishin is the coldblooded type taking the form of something less noticeable. He seems intelligent and cunning. The way he selects his victims is completely random. Maybe there's just something special about them, something he likes about them." Kid sighed and walked away from Stein. The wind started to blow again and snow came pouring down.

Kid put a dark black coat on. "_The next victim_… It could be anyone."

* * *

_Maka _and Soul walked home together through a pelting blizzard. It had been warm earlier in the afternoo, even to the point where they took off their coats. Now, it was late at night and cold, nearly thirteen degrees. They found refuge in a nearby shop.

"Uhh." Maka's teeth chattered. "Sooo cold!" Soul nodded a bit and pulled down his dark black hat over his hair. The hat was covered in tiny specks of white. "That's not helping." Maka said dryly looking at her partner.

"What?" Soul seemed confused.

"You know I lost my blue hat and now you're just being rude about it." She gloomily looked out the window. Maka squinted, as if she was seriously trying to see across the street through the heavy snowstorm. "By the way…. have you seen the pin I got from Crona last night?"

"No." Soul coughed.

"Well, I guess I forgot to thank you for taking me to see the tree last night. I really wanted to give Crona that recipe for those Christmas cookies, I never got through to it though. He gave me a pin but I.. I…"

"You lost it?"

"Er, don't tell him." Maka seemed a bit embarrassed. The pin was an awfully cute trinket. A handmade thing, with what looked like a penguin super glued to what might be an igloo. It really was pathetic, but Maka liked it. Her partner sighed.

"Well Maka. The blizzard is just letting up, let's walk the rest of the way home. It's not too far."

"Alright." Maka put back on her gloves. They weren't really hers, they were Soul's, but hers were lost. "Can we get a sandwich on the way home? I'm starving."

"Sure." Soul nodded and helped his miester wrap untangle the scarf around her neck. They walked out into the snow together. They were a little ways down the block when the snow started up again. The blizzard rushed furiously at them both, the howling winds made it impossible to hear. They tried to get into a few stores and shops, but all seemed to be locked up for the night.

"SOUL!" Maka buried her head into his coat. "SOOOUL! LET'S JUST GO INTO THAT SHOP!" Maka guided Soul to the side of the street and helped him find the door. "IN HERE!" She tried to open the door, but the winds were blowing the opposite direction, making this action impossible.

Thankfully a lofty man came from inside to help them open the door. "Thanks" they both sighed.

"A bar?" Maka's jaw dropped open.

"It's a nightclub. The one you were on that council to help build." Soul helped her take off her coat.

"Really? Wow. I've been in so many councils I hardly remember."

"That's not healthy, Maka." Soul walked over to far corner of the main area.

"Waiit! Where are you going?" She followed him across the busy dance floor and to the other side of the counter, where there was a small space full of Shibusen students. The bustled around and were spread out across chairs and couches.

Maka and Soul sat far from the action in a dismal little corner. The music was on full blast and some pop dance song was playing.

"This is terrible music." Soul admitted.

"Really? Well, we could go outside again, halfway freeze to death, find another shop that isn't closed, and maybe they'll be playing decent music, how does that sound, Soul?"

"Forget it."

A Hispanic looking early teen and his friend sat down on the couch next to Maka. They seemed oblivious to the fact that Soul was there. They're eyes looked hazy and uncertain. "Hey Maka. Remember us from the classroom next to you. Carlos and Jared, remember? Well Toby over there wanted to dance with you when a slow dance came up. Would you take him up on it?"

"No she can't." Soul narrowed his eyes and looked at the bow who was named Carlos. "She just got back off the street and she's cold."

"Yeah, we know. That's why we said, 'next time there's a slow song.' There's no need to get cocky."

"Yeah well what if she's still cold by then! Why doesn't Toby just get her a drink or something to warm her up!" Soul's face was reddening, but Maka's was even more. She just sat there and gapped, her eyes twitched a little.

"Oh that's no problem, I'm sure Toby would…"

"SHUT UP ALREADY! I WAS JUST GOING TO GET HER SOMETHING!" Soul leaped off the couch and stormed off to the counter.

Maka continued to gape. She was speechless and didn't know why Soul was acting the way he was. Carlos and Jared got up, disappointed, and walked back over another browned haired boy who seemed a little disappointed.

"Listen Soul, I've been watching the weather outside, and I think we should go home." Maka grabbed Soul's coat. "This was a complete waste of time and I think I've just hurt someone's feelings."

"Then go dance." Soul offered her a cup of something warm.

"With him, should I, really?" Maka accepted the drink and took a sip.

"No."

"Alone, then?"

"No."

"With who?"

"I'll dance with you."

"I'll pass." Maka heaved a sigh. "I just want to go home."

"I understand. We'll sit by the window this time and wait until the weather clears up. Then we will run as fast as we can to the apartment? Like a race, okay? Although we'll be running together" Soul smiled and looked out the window and waited for it to stop snowing so harshly.

"Okay. That sounds like a lot of fun." Maka laughed.

* * *

"AAAAAAAAAH! GET INSIDE! GET INSIDE!" Maka screamed as she pushed Soul inside the apartment's back entrance. The both gasped for breath, their breaths floating upwards in little clouds.

"C'mon up the stairwell, Maka. I need to get in front of the heater!" The weapon and his miester, slowly trudged up the stairwell and into their apartment. Maka took off her coat and set it on the coat rack.

"Okay, okay. Well that certainly was interesting. Where's Blair?"

"She probably got stuck at work. Well I'm going not going to cook anything, and I'm hungry. I'll give you break too and order pizza."

"SOUL! Don't condemn an innocent pizza guy to death, I'll make some beef stew, I just need to go put my coat in my closet. I don't want it to hang on the coat rack and get the floor wet, I'll chance it in my closet and have a bucket under it."

"K." Soul lazily sat down on the couch and turned the TV on.

Maka went to her room. She opened the door, walked in and closed it behind her. She hung the coat up in her closet and put the bucket under it. She grabbed her pajamas, put them on and then laced up her hair into two small buns. She was going to grab a hair clip from her desk when she noticed something on top of it.

On the surface was a fat ugly looking doll, the fabric it was sewed out of was of bad quality and the stitch marks were all over the place. Two lifeless button eyes glared back at her. Pierced through it's chest was the pin Crona had given her the previous night. The thing that caught Maka's eye the most was the fact that it had two long strands of string from each side of it's head. _Two ponytails._

_This doll was clearly supposed to be her._


	15. A Reassuring 9th Day

This is a rather short, yet emotionally filled chapter. Sorry for those expecting a longer one. The next biggest one will be the 7th Day, which will definitly be one of my favorites.

Sadly, this is the first goodbye of two major characters. One is reaveled at the end of this chapter. **As for the killer:** _It_ is out and about in the comunitiy as of now, and I will admit that _it_is right outside the window as Soul and Maka are having their conversation. Too bad I cannot share with you, the identity, _yet_.

Goodbye to those characters leaving my story and we will look forward to your return with happy hearts.

_9. Days. Left._

* * *

"Maka?" Soul shifted over positions. It was one in the morning and Soul was sleeping his bed. He was having an awesome dream. Something fell over on his desk and he opened an eye. He had been very jumpy lately. Soul saw a dark figured propped up against the wall.

He immediately sat upright, the blood pumping into his head. Someone was in his room, lying on the floor and leaning against the wall. His crimson eyes squinted in the darkness, he was able to see the form was small and looked pretty harmless. It was Maka.

"M-maka?" Soul pushed the blanket to the side and crouched down onto the floor. He slowly made an approach to her, he reached out a hand to shake her awake. "M-m-maka?"

"CHOP!" Soul had failed to see she had a book in her lap.

"OUCH!" He flailed backwards and bumped his head on the side of his bed. He rubbed his head tenderly. "Thanks a lot. What are you doing here?"

"I got scared."

"Oh my God, Maka, seriously?" Soul grabbed the blanket off his bed and wrapped it around his miester. "You? Scared."

"I've never been more scared in my life." She admitted and he could even see her hands were shaking furiously as she gripped the book. He sighed, but compassion showed in his eyes.

"How long have you been in here?" He sighed again.

"Since you went to bed."

"Now look who's the communities' newest predator." He got up and sat on the chair next to his desk.

"Predator? Oh please, I just came to sleep on the floor next to your door. It's not like I crawled into bed next to you."

The room was dark. Soul was glad, because if it had not been so dark, she would've seen his whole face turn bright red. She seemed to ignore her last comment.

"I felt safe here."

"He was in your room again?" Soul jolted up, knocking the chair to the floor. Maka did not reply right away. The room was still and the air was thick. Soul sighed and shuffled over to the window, he opened the shades and allowed glorious moonlight to flood the room. The falling snow outside glittered radiantly and made the entire room sparkle.

"Y-yes."

"Maka." Soul turned from the window and layer down by his miester. "What happened?" His fears soared above anything else. He was frightened and he thought the worst, even though in the back of his mind, he reminded himself it was just a man. Maka's killed more deadly things in a beat-up shape. A new fear burned deep in his chest and wondered if this thing was truly just a man.

"I-I found a doll of myself." Maka shed a tear. "I don't know what it means, but I know something bad is going to happen. More people are going to die."

"It's just a man." Soul reminded himself out loud. "It's just a man, you said yourself."

"Well I'm having my doubts about that right now! How could he have gotten into the house if he was just a man? The door's been locked, yes, and under special surveillance from the neighbors. There's no sign of him sneaking in and out. Magic? I don't know Soul! What I don't know bothers me!" Her voice was raised.

"I'm glad you admitted that just now." Soul handed Maka a tissue.

"Soul, what does the doll mean?" Maka asked, timidly raising her head to look him in the face. Her bright green eyes full of tears.

"I don't know." He replied. Her tears seemed to increase. "But.. Asha had one."

"That's what I was afraid of." She leaned her head back against the wall. "And now she's dead. He follows a pattern. What does Kid know?"

"Well, I found the doll the night Asha was murdered. I gave it to Kid as evidence."

"So Kid must know something more." Maka breathed and her crying stopped. "We just need to confront him. Soul?"

"Yeah?"

"What if he is watching us right now?"

"Well gettup." Soul got to his feet and helped Maka up. He opened the door to his room and led her out. He turned on the hallway lights. "You can either have something to eat or go to bed." He stared blankly at her. She shook her head back.

"I don't want to go to bed." Her eyes narrowed and she stomped her foot on the ground. "I want to do some investigating like Kid."

"Calm down, your acting like an idiot." Soul rubbed his eyes. He was deprived of sleep. "Go turn the TV on low and turn all the lights on, it should help, physiologically."

"Huh? How do you know that?" Maka turned around, confused.

"I read it in a book somewhere." Soul groaned and turned back to his room to get a shirt. He was bare-chested and was only wearing shorts, so he felt a little cold.

"I don't belive it." Maka turned the TV on and another light switch clicked.

"About the fact that turning on the TV and lights should help reduce your fear?" Soul came out of his room, wearing a red t-shirt.

"No, about you reading a book." She sat on the couch and watched whatever show was on. It was some late-night drama. Soul groaned at her choice in show. A beautifully tiny blonde woman was having a catfight with a smaller red haired woman. It reminded him of Myuki and Tsubaki. He went to the kitchen and came back a minute later with a empty paper plate. He sat on the couch next to Maka and put it on her lap.

"What's this?" Maka asked, puzzled.

"Steak, I cooked it for you." She glared at Soul. "What? I'm a bad cook. A cool guy like me can't waist time learning something like that."

"Well good thing I'm not hungry anyway." She brought her legs up onto the couch and grabbed her knees. "Who do you think it is, Soul?"

"If I tell you. Will you not be surprised?"

"I can't not be surprised!" Maka added. "That's impossible!"

"Crona." Soul said, in a barley audible voice. Maka's eyes widened and she leaned back a bit. The doll did have the pin Crona gave her on it. It did make sense, but yet, it didn't. Crona was a friend. She trusted him with her life so many times, why now would he change.

"I think Crona's gotten bloodthirsty. I was certain if the murderer made any single sign about harming you, it had to be Crona. He's envious and wants you all to himself. Your friendship was never enough and now he wants you romantically.

"He would tell me if he did." Maka protested, slamming her hand against the table. She later regretted it because her hand hurt for about a day later.

"He's tried so many times, already but your just not getting clues into your tiny head MAKA!" Soul yelled and got up from the couch. You're not getting any peaceful sleep until this is resolved, am I right?"

Maka nodded, although a bit angrily.

"Where's the doll?"

"She's in the drawer in my desk, Soul." Maka started sputtering out her comments. "The pattern says a weapon is the next victim, I'm a miester! Is someone already dead tonight? We need to call Tsubaki, Patty, Liz, Marie! He's only going after girls so far, It might be a sexual harasser."

"All the more reason it's Crona. He's lately said he's starting to be called a '_he'_. Why do you think that is, Maka?"

Soul pushed open the door to Maka's room and turned on the lights. He reached for the main desk drawer and pulled out a small and very ugly voodoo-looking doll. The fabric was terrible. He went back through the doorway and into the main room. He almost stepped on Blair, who shirked and sprinted down the hall.

"Damned cat." He muttered furiously. Soul put the coat on over his t-shirt and then put on his snow boots. He stuffed a whole bag of wheat bread into the biggest of the coat pockets.

"SOUL! Where are you going?" Maka rose from the couch and grabbed onto his coat.

"Your not getting any rest until you find out who this is." He looked at the door. "Neither am I. Call your Dad when I'm gone. Tell him everything. We need to get you under protection"

"NO SOUL!" She shook his coat sleeve violently. "You can't!" He ignored her and shook her off. "GET OFF!" He swung open the door into the quite hall. Maka grabbed the hood around his neck and kept him from going anywhere.

"Soul…" Her eyes glistened with tears.

"Yeah, Maka?" He turned around to face her.

"Don't break the door, again.. idiot." She wiped away a few tears from her eyes. He couldn't smile. "Just.. how long will you be gone?"

"Not until I find out more." He took both her warm hands and put them down by her side. "I'll be back, I won't die. So you don't die either, okay?"

"Yeah.." She nodded faintly.

With that, he backed up and started down the east side of the hallway. His footsteps were loud because of his snow boots, and when he was halfway down the hall they squeaked. He had stopped. Soul turned around and saw Maka standing at the door to their apartment holding onto the doorframe.

"Soul.." She whispered.

He rushed down the hall to where Maka was, put his hand on her cheek and kissed her lightly on the lips. She was stunned, and stayed that way as he ran back down the hall and down the stairwell. Maka stayed like that for several minutes afterwards too, until she finally went back inside and closed the door behind her. She would not see Soul again for what seemed like forever.


	16. Kid's 8th Day

Kid brushed his dark black bangs out of his face and then he narrowed his eyes. Maka was lying, asleep, on the main sofa. Her hair was sprawled out over her face and her eyes were closed. She held a manga book in her hand, which was on top of her abdomen. _She is quite a cute human._

He sighed and ate another forkful of pasta. Kid was sitting at the main dining room table with a bowl of pasta, which Maka had prepared for him. His job was to guard Maka from a serial killer kishin while Soul was gone, but there were two highly dangerous problems with the plan.

The first problem was that Kid couldn't find either Liz or Patty. Without his twin pistols, he would have to convert to basic maneuvers and light shiningami magic, if under sudden attack. When he was called to guard Maka late last night, he asked his partners to meet him at Soul and Maka's apartment. They never showed up last night or all day.

Second, he could be investigating and interrogating suspects who might know more about the kishin who has been behind the recent attacks instead of watching over Maka. With Liz, Patty, and Soul gone, that made the number of missing people go up to three now, and the people missing were some of Shibusen's most highly skilled weapons that belonged to some of the most highly skilled miesters. At least though, Kid knew that Soul had gone into hiding. Liz and Patty were completely missing.

Soul had called him the previous night asking Kid to come over to his apartment immediately. He never gave a reason why.

Kid ate two pieces of pasta. He left two strands on the plate. He looked over to Maka again and understood that even though she was a strong-willed brave and highly skilled miester, she was also a fragile figure. A kishin could easily tear her apart while she was sleeping.

He took the two other noodles and place them in his mouth. He stood up and the chair fell backwards.

"DAMMIT! NOW THERE'S NO MORE PASTA! A THIRD PROBLEM!"

Maka continued to sleep, but Blair who was walking down the hall came up to Kid and purred at his food.

"Hmm?" She grinned. "What's wrong Kid-kun? Are you lonely?"

"I have so many problems to deal with." Kid shifted his fingers through the three white stripes in his hair.

"You said only three." Blair hummed.

"Yes but THREE, IS A ASYMERICAL NUMBER!" He shouted and then both the cat and the shiningami wondered why Maka had not woken up yet.

"Well. I can make you some yummy fish!" Blair put her front paws on Kid's legs and stretched her back legs. In a poof of smoke she transformed into her human form. _Her excellently formed human form._

"Come on, help me choose the kind of fish you like! Salmon, tuna, mackerel! She grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the freezer. She was wearing a short-cut purple t-shirt and baggy gray sweat pants.

"I don't really need that." He wiggled his hand free and glanced down at Maka, again. Blair kept on naming all types of fish, that Kid was sure didn't even exist. "I'm concerned for Maka." He paused and took a step towards the window.

"Um, so what kind of fish?" Blair gave a bored expression and took out the charcoaled-black frying pan.

"She can't stay here forever. The gap between the deaths are by ten days. The question is.."

"Alright! Trout it is!"

"Should I let her go, and then only watch her on the ninth day?"

Blair began frying some species of fish that was definitely not trout. Kid still gazed out the window. He could see all the lightly colored snow specks dancing in the street lamps, but what caught his eye the most was two shapes moving down below the building.

They looked up at him and advanced towards the building. _Liz and Patty._

Kid ran to the door, dodging some books next to the main couch where Maka was lying. He unhitched the door and waited patiently. A few minutes later, Patty's bright face appeared as she opened the door.

"WE HEARD SOUL WAS GONE SO WE WENT TO GO LOOK FOR HIM!" Patty leaped into the main room. _Oh, they're… okay.._

"Heh, yeah." Liz slinked in. "We went to check the basketball court and a few other places around town."

"All last night and all today!" Kid shouted.

"We got sidetracked okay?" Liz confessed showing off her newly bell-bottomed jeans.

"Mmmhmm!" Patty pointed to her second addition to her newly-founded hat collection. Her hat was a poorly designed giraffe hat.

"Fine, fine. Then I'm sure you know what happened to Maka." Kid crossed his arms. The apartment was silent.

"She's okay right?" Liz's eyes widened and she leaned forward.

"She's gotten one of the death dolls from our murderer."

"Where' is she?" Liz lurched into the main room and sighed when she saw Maka asleep on the couch. Patty trailed after her older sister and her eyes' widened too.

"Faancy Trout!" Blair sang in her high voice. "Get your some fancy trout over here right now!" She skillfully flipped a half-frozen half-burnt fish onto a paper plate. "Try some Liz!" She winked.

Liz turned and looked at it. "Your getting better, Blair, congratulations, but now is not the time for that." Patty grabbed the paper plate and began poking at the fish with a fork from the cabinet.

"Liz, Patty, I've been trying to get hold of you all day, the phone, the police and even a small team of private investigators."

"Seriously, Kid?" Liz slouched backwards.

"I thought you might be dead, too." Kid put his hand up to his face hiding his expression. He sighed. "Liz, Patty, I can take care of Maka. I need to ask you a favor. You must do this job well."

Liz and Patty nodded and stood in front of their miester.

"Soul, I'm sure has gone into hiding to find come clues about the killer. I want you to go find Soul, and seriously look for him. Not shop." He glanced at the newly bought hat with disapproval.

"I need him back here. He's only doing this for some stupid reason, and everything would be better if he was back." Kid sat down at the counter and the two sister turned to go to the door.

"We'll start our search tomorrow already Kid?" Liz said. "We're going to a hotel, we aren't going to waste time going all the way out to Gallow's mansion."

"Good." Kid leaned back in his chair and put his feet up on the chair next to it. "I think it would be best if none of us went there until we find more about the murderer."

"I think someone's broken in a few times. Some of my paintings have been tipped by a few feet." He was fixed in a strong gaze.

"Really?" Patty and Liz gasped.

"Nothing to be afraid of." Kid paused. "Unless you have gotten a death doll recently. Maka's a miester you know, she's not the next death."

Maka shuffled in her sleep on the couch. The book she had on top of her fell to the floor.

"No." They both replied honestly, turned, and headed for the door.

Blair set down another fish in front of Kid. She smiled and turned the stove off, then the lights. Everything was dark in the apartment. Only the strand of light that came from the window and Kid's golden eyes gave off light. Maka coughed and faintly smiled. _Sleep peacefully, Maka. You only have nine days to live._


	17. Could the 7th Day be too Late?

Just adding my own little twists on how I think miesters are miesters and how I think weapons talk to each other. All of the trans actions that go on are my explanations to many of the things in the Soul Eater universe.

Thanks _SoulandMaka4everGOANIME8D_ for the name Erique, which I altered a bit from it's original form.

_7 Days left! Hope you enjoy tonigh't chapter! Next one will come out later tonight because I skipped a day!_

* * *

Liz and Patty shuffled through the freezing streets. Liz's face was brilliantly pale and her eyes were wide with drowsiness.

_It is pretty late_, Patty thought to herself. Patty pulled her new red coat closer to her body. She liked how the fur on the back of the hoodie brushed up against her neck. She also liked the giraffe hat. She pulled the giraffe hat down to cover her forehead some more.

**_RIIIIP_**

"Patty, that is the crappiest hat I've ever seen. It's made up of the worst materials. You should just through it away."

"No! SIS!" Patty grabbed her sister's arm and hugged it. "I like it."

"Uhh. Okay." Liz groaned and kept on fast-walking through the snow. "We just have one more place to check, tonight."

"Where?" Patty's eyes glowed.

"Morte's Bar." Liz replied casually.

"A bar, Sis? Why would Soul be there?"

"I'm not looking for Soul." Patty felt her sister's arm tense. "Just transform when I tell you too."

Patty shivered and her eyes sparkled with slight tears. It was just like the old days, before they met Kid, when they were gang leaders. It was horrible back then. Patty was a little frightened by her sister's change in attitude.

They came up to a bar with some rough looking men in front. They were smoking and standing in front of a rack of a few small motorcycles. They didn't know what to make of two young pretty girls walking right into their usually bar.

"I think I'm done, I'm going inside." A beefy man said, turning and walking inside.

"MOVE IT!" Liz shoved him aside. "Where can I find, Tom Sanchez!" She pushed the man to the side of the building and glared at him. She gripped Patty's hand as if to get ready to tell her to transform. _Sis, that was more like an order than a question._

"You mean, Erique?" The man puffed. "The guy's inside."

Liz shoved him aside and stepped into the bar still holding her sister's hand.

"Ya' think she's a weapon?" One of the men asked the guy who was shoved into the side of the building.

"Maybe, but I don't wan to find out."

"WHERE'S TOM SANCHEZ?" Liz yelled throughout the bar. The noisy red back-lit bar became silent. No one moved or spoke.

"Where's the lousy b-" Liz stopped in mid-sentence remembering Patty was with her. "Erique? Where's Erique?" She growled.

A dark colored man in the front of the counter sipping a beer, fell over on the barstool, and scrambled to his feet.

"Hey that's the guy who we beat up yesterday!" Patty exclaimed. The rest of the people in the bar burst out laughing. "They're freaks!" He shouted. "They're DWMA students!"

"Yeah that'll teach ya' Erique! Or should I start calling you Tom." The woman next to him laughed. "But listen girlie, you really shouldn't have brought your little sister. I'm sure your older than eighteen, but your kid sister looks like she's only fourteen."

"Tom Sanchez, I knew it was you. I KNEW IT!" Liz yelled, ignoring the woman, and gripping Patty's hand tighter. She thrust her sister forward and sent a strong soul wavelength into Patty.

_Transform, Patty._

Patty changed into her weapon form and pivoted in Liz's fingers.

"Never mind, then." The woman spun around and faced her drink.

"SPEAK UP, TOM!" Liz took a step forward.

"Someone call the police!" Someone shouted from the background.

"I am the closest thing to the police! Liz shouted. And this guy, right here, is a murderer." She leaned over and spoke to him very softly. "You killed Asha and that other girl, and now your targeting Maka, what's more? I bet you're a kishin and soon you'll come after Patty."

"N-N-No!" The man sputtered. "Y-you have it w-w-wrong." He was flat against the wall, and Liz was very close in his face. His eyes darted from side to side. "It was actually my sister's daughter who was murdered. She was a weapon, but never attended Shibusen because my sister wouldn't allow it. I was out looking for the murderer when I met you."

"The first part I'll believe but that last part about you looking for the murderer is a lie."

"What school did she go too?" Maka asked to make sure he was telling the truth. "The east school, St. Francis! Her name was Anna!"

"Anna? Hmm? Where can I find some of her friends?"

"I-I-I don't know her friends." He backed against the wall.

"I highly doubt that, perv. NAMES?"

"Nanami and her were really close." The man shook in place.

"Address please?" Liz extended the arm that was not holding Patty.

"Like I would know that." Erique's eyes narrowed.

"Wanna bet, sicko? I'm guessing you have it in your jean pocket right now!" Liz motioned for him to give her it. He hesitantly handed her a sticky note with an address on it.

"Gahh! Scum like you make me sick!" She turned around and twirled Patty in her palm.

Wow! Sis you really scared him.

_Yeah, I know._

Patty transformed back once they were outside the bar.

"Where are we going now?" Patty adjusted her hat just right and pushed one of the ears up a little farther. Liz looked disgusted, then studied the sticky note.

"3920 15th Ave East, right by the school." She threw the paper into the snow.

"Sissss! Don't litter!" Patty picked up the sticky note and threw it in the garbage can next to the bar.

"Thanks miss." Two tall guys on their smoke break, standing next to the bar, smiled.

* * *

"Yeah, My Mom really doesn't care if two strange girls who are really guns, come into my house and ask to speak to me alone." A sad-looking scrawny black-haired girl wearing a blue sailor uniform opened the door.

Liz and Patty shrugged and smiled.

"I'm only half joking. My Mom's somewhere I don't know. My dad's dead. I only see my Mom about once or twice a week."

She led them into the apartment that was dark and gloomy, even though it had a bunch of windows. It looked a lot like Myuki's except it hardly had any furniture. It looked pretty run-down.

"So I'm all alone." Nanami spoke softly. "Don't. Kill. Me."

"Don't worry we won't, we just have a few questions."

"I hope it has nothing to do with the murders." Nanami led them to a side room and let them sit on two mats. She sat on the bare floor. "I won't answer those." Patty ran over to the girl wit her mat and sat next to her.

"C'MON! You can tell us!" She patted her on the back.

"No."

"Nanami, It's either us, or the police." Liz sighed.

"The police already asked me! I don't know anything!" Nanami was very calm, but she got worked up and pointed at Liz. "I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT VOODOO SO JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!"

"Nothing about voodoo has been released to the public, yet. You do know something." Liz crossed her arms. _Wow! My Sis's smart!_

Patty leaned over and looked at Nanami, who didn't say anything.

"Wait here a little longer and I'll bring us some toast." The girl stood up and pushed her hair back. She walked out the door and arrived a few minutes later with a tray of toast. Her black hair was now in a braid.

"Here, toast." She sat down. "I do have a little bit of jelly." She brought forth a jar of marmalade and a small silver knife.

"No th-" Liz was cut off by Patty.

"YAY! JELLY! I WANT SOME!"

Nanami grabbed the jar and scooped up the knife with her right hand in the wrong position. She twirled it swiftly so that it was the right direction to fit into the jar. A scoop of jelly was spread out across the toast surprisingly fast.

"Woah, are you a miester?" Patty asked in awe.

"Woah is right! I've seen those skills but only in someone like Kid or Maka!" Liz was in awe too.

"What's a miester?" Nanami asked.

"Y-you don't know?" Liz was astonished. They helped saved these peoples lives everyday, yet the people hardly knew a thing about them.

"I know who they are, just.. what are they?" She sat looking broadly at them. Her eyes had no emotion, but both sister's could tell her heart was beating fast.

"Anyone really, who can wield a weapon. Many miesters have inherited the skill from their families, though." Liz replied. "Is anyone in your family a miester?"

"No." Nanami shook her head, then lowered it. It was as if she was more depressed than when they first met her.

"Okay… well about the voodoo dolls. What do you know of the them?" Liz inquired, wanting to know more about the subject.

"I was told not to say." Nanami handed the toast to Patty, and then made one for herself.

"By?" Liz looked anxious.

"A friend." The girl looked down to her lap as she prepared another piece of toast.

"She goes to your school right, so she's thankfully _not_ weapon?" Liz asked, a little worriedly. _Sis, It's okay! That's a school for regular girls!_

Nanami stopped spreading the jelly on her toast and looked up at Liz. On Nanami's face was a look of pure horror. The knife dropped.

_**CLLANG.**_

"IS SHE OKAY?" Nanami bolted up and panicked.

"Who, Who?" Liz stood up too, her hands at her sides, and Patty, seeing everyone was standing up, also got up from the floor.

"Her name is Myuki Chadwick!" Nanami shed a few tears and stopped in place. "She told me to not tell anyone about the doll and I didn't! I didn't tell anyone, but now I told you! I trust you not to tell anyone!"

Liz gasped and covered her mouth with her left hand. Patty felt a slight sickening feeling inside her, even though her face still stayed innocent. She didn't know what this meant.

"H-how long ago?"

"She told me the day she got it! About a week ago." Nanami was muttering to herself. "It wasn't this Friday, but the last."

Liz grabbed Patty's arm and pulled her through the door into the hallway, leaving Nanami alone in the apartment. _OOWIE! MY HAND!_

If Liz had done the calculations right in her head, It had been exactly nine days since Myuki had received a death doll. She hoped she did the math wrong. Liz hoped with all her soul she had miscalculated the days.

"PATTY!" Liz ran out the main door and onto the flurrying street. "WHAT TIME IS IT?" She ran desperately while holding Patty's arm. Patty struggled to reach into her pocket and pull out a small wrist watch that she had bought yesterday while shopping.

"The big hand is point towards the." She squinted. "Eleven. And the small hand is pointing to the. Patty paused. "CAN we stop running, sis' I can't see!"

Liz stopped and felt frustration and anger roll over her in waves. She panted and grabbed the watch from Patty. _Why is Sis so angry?_

"Eleven fifty! Ten minutes until midnight!" Liz began running down the street without Patty, but her sister soon caught up and grabbed Liz's hand. Patty shot a strong soul wavelength through her sister.

_Be calm Sis! Transform and I'll carry you._

Liz didn't have much choice of changing because Patty's wavelength was so strong, but she did not feel calm. She transformed into a pistol and allowed Patty to carry her through the streets.

"PATTY RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN! WE NEED TO MAKE IT TO MYUKI'S APARTMENT! NOW!"

Being carrying close to Patty's pocket, Liz could easily hear the watch.

_Tik Tok Tik Tok._

Midnight meant it was the tenth day after receiving the doll. Myuki might already be dead.


	18. Goodbye on the 6th Day

I think it's safe to say that who the murderer is, is quite obvious by now. I really wanted it to be lead up to gradually, but my little sister guessed who it was and said it was "soooo easy". Of course she always points out my writing faults but, ah well.

Thanks for reading so far! I cannot wait for Chirstmas, but at the same time I will be sad to put an end this story. You can expect some more stories after this though. I will give exact details on my last chapter on the new stories coming out.

I am also a little saddened by Myuki's death. I didn't like her either, but I was actually getting attached to her as an actual Soul Eater character. I am so weird that way.

**Only 6 Days Left!**

* * *

it away too much, I really wanted it to be lead up to gradually.

Morning light flooded the disordered apartment.

Kid, Maka, and Tsubaki gazed up the apartment wall. They were inside Myuki's apartment and inside the apartment was a total mess. The furniture was tipped over and in places they weren't before and the appliances were broken in several different places. The drawers were scattered and broken too. There was blood everywhere.

Kid looked down from where most of Myuki was hanging. Maka held her gaze.

"That's me in six days." Maka sighed and grabbed one arm. She shifted her weight to the other foot and turned around. "I'm sorry it's just." She began to lightly cry.

Kid tried to cover her, but was so perplexed and angered himself he just ended up saying nothing. A loud creaking noise filled the apartment as the door opened.

Liz, Patty, Crona, entered the scene and their eyes were filled with terror.

"God, Kid. I already saw this last night, I didn't want to see this again." She held a hand up to cover her eyes. "It was better when it was dark out."

"M-M-M-Myuki?" Crona put both his hands up to his face and groaned. He looked away. "M-Muki?" It was then that Crona looked up and saw Maka. She was leaned against half of the blood-stained refrigerator.

"Maka!" Crona's voice echoed throughout the apartment as he ran up to Maka and grabbed her arms. He was shaking violently.

"Are you okay?" His timid voice was stronger than anyone had ever heard before. "MAKA! Are you okay?"

"Y-y-es." She wiped away a few tears, trying to be brave. He grabbed her and hugged her like she had done when he was running away a long time ago. She cried harder.

"No one has told Crona, yet? Kid looked to Liz and then to Patty, who both shook their heads. "Ah, well I guess it is crueler _not_ to tell someone, just like we'll have to tell Black*Star sometime."

"We'll tell Tsubaki first." Liz said.

"Tell me w-what?" Crona was starting to stumble on his words again. "Maka is o-okay, right?" He looked up.

"Maka received a death doll, not too long ago. She has six days left to, before," Kid was stumbling, himself, on his words.

Kid not saying anything was worse than actually saying she was going to die. Crona's imagination went into overdrive. He began sobbing too.

"N-No! N-NOT M-M-M-aka!"

Kid put his hand on Crona's shoulder. It was his way of being friendly.

"I will do my best not to allow anything to happen to Maka. There was a pause throughout the room. A steady sound filled the whole apartment.

_**Drip Drip Drip**_

The sound of blood dripping from up the wall made everyone shiver.

"The only question now is, where the-"

"It's not a question. I think I know." Liz edged her way across the room, stepping in pools of blood and various debris. She made her way to the kitchen where one of the drawers was still in tact. It was on the right side next to a large empty space where the fridge used to be.

Liz cautiously opened it and extracted a small doll. It had white hair, a blue dress with light yellow stars on it, one red eye, and a black one. The doll was stitched poorly with a terrible quality of cloth. It had a large grin on it's devilish face.

"He even knew that." Kid gasped. "The next target is a miester. Most likely Maka. He's going to be watching her every second of the day and night now. If he knew even the smallest of details like that then, he must know a lot about Maka." Kid began to pace.

"They got the freaky grin right." Liz shook the doll back and forth. "What do I do with it?"

"Just give it to me. I'll take it back to-." Kid stopped. "NO! NO where is safe! I can't take it to the mansion stuff has gone missing!"

"I hope you've noticed, Kid. None of your stuff has gone missing! It's always one of Patty's so just stop whining!" Liz folded her arms and looked at her little sister who nodded.

Maka, who had her face buried in Crona's black tunic, got up, and walked across the room to Patty. Patty was wearing her giraffe had a sort-of smile on. It was hard to smile in a place so depressing.

"Get out of here, Patty." Maka stopped crying and looked hard into her eyes. "Go north or south, just leave Death City!"

"Not east or west?" Patty seemed disappointed. "I've always wanted to go to China."

"PATTY! GET OUT OF HERE! YOU'RE NEXT!" Maka started to scream but was restrained by Kid and Liz.

"She hasn't gotten a doll yet! Maka don't worry!" Liz yanked so hard on Maka's right arm that she tripped over something and plummeted to the floor. Her sweatshirt was now stained crimson.

"Yes, Maka. Besides, Patty's safe as long as your alive. He's going in order. You were not going to be hurt as long as Myuki was alive." Kid put his hands on his face, he just realized he made a huge mistake.

"SO WE ALL WAIT UNTIL I DIE? THEN WORRY ABOUT PATTY?" Maka pointed at Kid. "We need Patty to be safe. I'm not leaving. I want to confront this thing with- with." Maka couldn't stop crying, but she held a straight face. "If I had Soul then I'd kill that thing! But I don't know where he is!"

"Confronting this creature wouldn't be the best idea." Kid glared back at Maka. "We all assume it's a very powerful kishin that has mastered soul protect and who knows what else!"

"I'm safe as long as I have six days left, right?" Maka growled. "YOU HEAR ME? I WANT TO TALK WITH YOU!" She screamed and the screamed echoed off the bloody walls.

"Liz, Patty?" Kid seemed uninfected by Maka's rage. "You go tell Tsubaki. Crona, you take Maka home and be sure to guard her with your life."

From that moment, the gang departed. Liz and Patty ran out in a hurry while Crona and Maka walked slowly out. Kid stayed looking up at part of Myuki's carcass hanging from the ceiling. She seemed to be smiling wickedly and looking right down at Kid.

"Your fate will not be Maka's." He vowed.

* * *

"Black*Star? What would you like for breakfast?" Tsubaki smiled, leaning over the stove. "Rice balls? Sushi? I'll cook anything, I'm in a very good mood."

"I can tell." Black*Star was looking out the window, up at the sky. "Hey Tsubaki."

"Yes Black*Star?"

"I was thinking, I've already surpassed God. How do I surpass the clouds?"

"Hmmm. Well." Tsubaki got out a rice steamer and a cutting board. "I suppose you could fly in a plane or climb a mountain."

"GENIUS!" Black*Star stood up and promised the clouds. "I'll fly over you in a plane! THERE'S NOTHING I CAN'T SURPASS!" He chuckled and sat down at the kotasu.

Tsubaki began to chop some unagi. She placed the eel and seaweed on the wooden plate, added little mints, and drizzled soy sauce on them.

"Would you like some wasabi on the side?" She asked, smiling.

"YES! I can handle that! HA! Pathetic!" Tsubaki placed a small speck of it on the side. She knew that he hated wasabi, but would insist on eating it every time.

"There you go." She flattened out her apron with her hands and set the meal on the table.

"Aren't you going to make something for yourself?" Black*Star looked up, puzzled.

"I'll make something in a second."

_**DING DONG**_

The doorbell rang and Tsubaki took off her apron. "I'll get that." She was wearing a light green pastel sweater with a short black skirt. She left the room and went to the front door.

"Oh hello Liz, Patty! Cute monkey hat Patty!"

"It's a giraffe!" Patty squealed.

"Tsubaki." Liz stopped Tsubaki. "Don't apologize, I can hardly tell either. We have some bad news to tell you."

"Huh?" Tsubaki blankly looked at them when they told her the whole story of what happened to Myuki. She bid them goodbye, when they were done, and she closed the door. Tsubaki walked over to the main room and stood in the doorway.

Black*Star was trying to make some sushi.

"Black*Star?" Tsubaki mumbled.

"Yeah? OH! Sorry! I was trying to make you some breakfast!" He jumped back.

"It's Myuki."

"Yeah, whadda about her?" Black*Star turned away and looked at the wall.

"She's been murdered, just like Asha. She was the weapon." Tsubaki choked out the words.

"WHAT!" Black*Star spun around and gazed at Tsubaki. "WHAT? DAMMIT! NOO!"

"It's true." Tsubaki refused to meet his gaze. "I'm sorry." She didn't even get to say another word to him. He ran out the door in an instant.

"B-Black*Star?" Tsubaki saw the open door. "Oh.."

Tsubaki spent all morning alone in the apartment looking out the window at the clouds. She was lonely and a little bit sad. She was sure that Black*Star was only frustrated with killer, and not overly upset about Myuki's death. Tsubaki wondered if he regretted breaking up with her.

Tsubaki weakly got up from where she was sitting, took out a piece of paper and a pencil and wrote a short message, but couldn't finish it. Then she grabbed a sack of things from her room and walked out the door.

_Black*Star, and everyone else,_

_I'm going to find Soul Eater. I know it's a long shot, but I think I know where he might be. I'm going into hiding too. I want to do my best to find whoever killed Myuki. Working seems to be the only thing I'm good at._

_I'm Sorry Black*Star. If I don't come back alive, I just wanted to say, I -_

_Goodbye,_

_Tsubaki,_


	19. One Step Closer on the 5th Day

This is definitly one of the creepiest chapters I've written.

**& I want to make it offical** that I will be doing another series as a sequel to this. It will have many original characters, but no Mary Sues! The two leading protagonists will be Nanami and Tobais (Tobi). The series will follow the events after- I wait! You need to read the ending of this series first! ;)

Thanks for all the awesome comments!

**Only 5 Days Left!**

* * *

"This is good food, Maka! I like it!" Blair grinned and took another bite of dim sum. Yum! This is almost as good as my cooking!"

"Yeah I know." Maka sighed and grabbed another sizzling pot sticker from the giant plate in the middle of the table. "If only Soul were here."

Liz, Patty, Black*Star, Kid, Crona, Maka and Blair were sitting around a table at one of the most fancy oriental restaurants in town. Little dancing Chinese zodiac animals were painted on the vibrant red walls and the whole restaurant was full of lights. There were quite a few tables and booths, but the whole place was packed.

"Well, since." Maka looked down. "Heh." She laughed. "I'll just give you your presents now." Maka reached under the table and pulled out a few bags at once. They were quite big.

"So that's what was under there." Liz leaned back in her chair. "I was wondering."

"PRESENTS! PRESENTS!" Patty raised her hands in the air.

"Hey this one's for you Patty." Maka handed Patty a frilly pink-laced bag with transparent glittering ribbons. "It's a-"

"Don't tell me Maka! Cuz' then it's not a surprise!" Patty couldn't take of the ribbons so she asked Liz too.

"I hope it's one of those cute sojo mangas that I've been asking for! The one with the girls in the cute uniforms! Ohh that one!"

"Not much of a surprise than is it?" Liz handed the untied bag back to Patty, who to her delight found the manga she had just been talking about. She made a tiny squeaking noise and wiggled the ears of her hat.

"I tell you Patty, take it off! That is the ugliest thing I've ever seen!"

"And it's not even symmetrical! Look one eye is falling out and the other is on!" Kid jumped up from the table and pointed at Patty's hat.

"Relax, okay! This next one's for you! Here Kid." She handed a black and white striped box to Kid. Maka had a fun time designing all the present boxes and bags.

"A violin? Well that's a surprise!" Kid examined the wood carvings etched into the violin's structure. "I don't exactly know how to play it though."

"Take lessons, I'm sure you'd be good!" Patty smiled.

"Oh great Maka, now you've cursed our house. We'll probably hear that violin's screeching every day of our lives now.." Liz sighed.

"I think the next one's for you Honey!" Blair nudged Crona who looked up nervously at her. Black*Star, who sat next to Kid showed no interest in whatever was going on.

"Yes, it is. Here!" Maka handed Crona a small box, no bigger than her own fist. Crona bowed his head and looked at it with happiness. "Shhh! Open it when you get home!" Maka winked.

"Now Liz and Blair, I hope you don't mind I got you both the same things, but I thought they fit both of your personalities!"

"Comparing me to that pervy cat, how rude!" Liz joked and took the handle of the bag. Blair took the other bag, but looked annoyed from Liz's comment. One of her cat ear's twitched from under the gray beanie she was wearing.

"Oh! Woah! Sweet" Liz looked into the bag. "Thanks a lot Maka!" Patty looked over and giggled.

"I AGREE! Excellent taste!" Blair purred.

"What is it?" Kid sat upright in interest, but Liz pulled the bag away from his peering eyes.

"Nothing you need to know about." She tucked it under the table. Blair did the same, smiling.

"Heh okay, Black*Star!" Maka looked worriedly at Black*Star, who was staring out the window. He wouldn't even touch the food he ordered. "Are you okay?" Maka asked.

"Yeah." Black*Star looked back at her and put his hands on his knees.

"Okay, your present is being delivered to your apartment right now! It's an exercise station." Maka giggled. "Y'know because.. you broke… the last one…" She looked dryly at him. He wasn't reacting.

"I'm sorry Tsubaki couldn't make it. Please give her this present when you get home. I know they aren't as good as the ones Kim and Angela made but, oh well. Spiced Fruit is spiced fruit right? I hope she feels better soon!"

Black*Star grabbed the jar with one of his hands and set them on the floor next to him.

"Okay, that's everyone right? Except for Soul." Maka looked miserably down at the package she had made for Soul. "I'm such a fool, I didn't even know why I brought this."

"Ooh! Give it to that cute waiter over there. Ya' know the tall one! I've had my eye on him!" Blair looked at Maka sheepishly.

"Don't be a jerk Blair, you know that gift was meant for Soul!" Liz growled.

"No, no she's right." Maka signaled for the waiter to come over. "It's how I can spread some holiday spirit around here, since Soul is obviously not coming back anytime soon." The whole table seemed shocked.

"Oh wow! Thanks." The waiter looked down at the box. "I'm almost done with my shift so I'll open it then." The tall waiter took the box to the back.

"See didn't that feel good?" Blair ate another piece of fried octopus.

"Awww you made him happy!" Patty giggled.

"It's not like Soul would've appreciated it." Maka whispered. Crona looked up at Maka and asked her a question.

"What was it?"

"Just a hand knit scarf. That's all."

* * *

"Thanks for dinner, Maka." Liz, Patty, and Kid began walking down the right side of the street. The snow had ceased falling for a moment and a chill crept throughout the city. The streets shadows were dark and ominous just like something was about the happen.

"Hey Blair, Crona? You coming back to the apartment with me?" Maka zipped her coat up.

"Sorry Hon' I've really got to get to work!" Blair skipped blissfully down the street next to Patty and Liz.

"Crona?" Maka seemed a little sad.

"Sorry Maka. I can't I need to be somewhere right now." Crona looked over at the other as they were departing. "SHOULDN'T SOMEONE TAKE MAKA HOME?"

"It's okay Crona." Maka inched her way toward him. "Nothings going to happen for at least five days now. We can verify that. If Soul doesn't show up by then, then I'll leave the city."

"O-O-okay." Crona seemed anxious, but spun around and dashed down the street and disappeared in a cloud of fog.

Maka looked down the dark street she was supposed to walk down to get to her apartment. It was cold and gloomy. The street lamps were also not working for no light came from them. She took her first step, and then another, realizing she was getting very cold by not moving.

It was then that she sense the soul wavelength of a single man, somewhere up ahead.

Maka slowly edged her way down the street as the snow began falling again. He breath came out as little cloudbursts as she came to a dark passageway between buildings. It was a bit like a tunnel with apartments above it and on all sides, but it was like an alley at the same time.

"Hello?" She waited for a reply. "Who's there?"

She waited for a few minutes before proceeding forward. He heart thumped in her chest and her legs trembled. She was halfway through when she heard a voice from behind her.

"Hello Maka Albarn."

"Huh?" Maka turned around to see nothing. "Who's there."

"Me."

"Who are you?" Maka showed no fear in her eyes when she looked foreword again. No one was there.

"Me."

"Who!" Maka shouted into the night.

"Your murderer."

"You monster." She said in merely a whisper. It not true to say she wasn't frightened. She was very scared.

"Don't try to run. run. run. run. away."

"What?"

"I will find. Find. Find. Find you."

"What do you mean? Why are you talking like that?" Maka looked above and below her. Her pupils were tiny as she searched all the shadows.

"You wanted to talk with me. So here I am. am. am."

"Why are you doing this? What are you? Are you a kishin or a witch?" It was a very dumb question, but that was all she could think of at the moment. A very agitated Maka began spinning in place. She couldn't find where the voice was coming from.

"Neither."

A horrifying shrill came from all around and Maka dropped to her feet. If she did this, she would be able to see from all around. Moreover, Being close to the ground gave her a sense of security.

She looked in front of her, snow was falling on the other side of the tunnel. Nothing was there. She turned around, again and saw the face. It was the face of a giant stitched monster looked at her with unmoving x'd eyes. It was the most hideous thing she'd every seen in her life. She only caught a glimpse of it before it it spread it's gaint needle-like fingers around her. She could feel the threads interweaving around her limbs.

"H-Help" She choked.

"Maka Albarn." It repeated. "Maka Albarn."

She felt a thin prick on her neck. At first, the sensation was not at all noticeable, then as the needle went deeper she could feel it gauging into her throat. Blood gurgled out as she tried to scream. The needle moved across her throat horizontally. The pain was excruciating.

As soon as she thought she would die from being tangled in threads and slashed across the throat, she was let go. She plummeted to the cobblestone street and fell with a sickening sound. Maka hadn't realized she had been so high in the air.

She couldn't speak or move. She was paralyzed for at least ten minutes.

"Maka!" Crona ran down the street. She could see his boots and hear the sound of him coming closer. He ran to her side and lifted her head. He trembled in place, but picked up Maka in his arms and began carrying her away.

It was awfully cold outside. She wasn't sure if it was the weather or her life slipping away. It didn't matter that much. She was going to die, but she found she didn't care if it was tonight or in four days. Her death was certain, either way.

However, just as Crona was carrying her, Maka did hear something echoing around the street apartments. She thought she could hear a faint voice like the one she had heard a few minutes ago.

"Thank. Thank. Thank. You." It said.


	20. Enter again, on the 4th Day

Okay, this is my favorite chapter so far. :)

I dare each and everyone of you to go back and see how many times the killer had appeared!

**4 DAYS LEFT!**

* * *

It was five in the morning and the apartment was still. Maka was lying half-asleep on the couch. He throat had a cast and scarf around it, Kid and Crona were propped up against the other couches. They were both asleep.

Maka had just been released from the E.R. early, because both Kid and Crona suspected someone in the facility to actually be the murderer in disguise.

It wasn't until five minutes past five that the door opened. It was only a tiny_ criiiiiking_ noise at first, but soon the door fully opened. In crept the shadowy figure, as it made it's way down the hall. Maka opened an eye.

She heard the thing whatever it was, and she was ready for it. Maka wanted to get back at it for what it had done to her last night. She could hardly feel the painful throbbing of her throat. Maka was very much alive.

The miester snatched the encyclopedia from the coffee table and inched her way into the kitchen. There was a large rustling sound coming from her room and the crackling sound of an electronic._How could I have missed that noise before? If it's snuck into my house so much?_

The thing inside made a painful-muffled yell and there was a little bit of stomping. She could also hear it curse several times.

"Umm." She actually said that allowed, but then covered her mouth. Kid and Crona still slept peacefully. _This is my chance!_

She gripped the dictionary and crept to the door. Her movements were very silent and stealthy, she didn't want to provoke the monster inside. _Assassin's rule number one Silence: dissolve into darkness… oh wait! Now I'm thinking like Black*Star!_

Maka swung open the door and aimed a her book at the creature. She thwacked it so hard it was sent flying onto the closet door, which promptly cracked. Maka turned the lights on and found two surprises.

The first surprise was that the thing she had sent flying across the room was actually Soul, and the second most important surprise was that her closet door was cracked.

"HONESTLY? Can you stop breaking my doors?" Maka crossed her arms and glared at his twitching figure.

"Wh-ha?" He got to his feet. "IS THAT ALL YOU CAN SAY?" He stomped his foot then turned to the wall. "Hmmph, figures."

"_Soul? Souul?"_ voice came from a tiny walky talky in his hand, and he quickly put his hand over where the sound came out. _"What's the point, Soul? She already knows where here."_

Soul let out a long sigh and eyed Maka, with a blank look on his face. She met his gaze with an annoyed expression.

"Alright Tsubaki. You can come up now."

* * *

Soul sat on the couch ignoring the angry threats Kid was yelling at him. Kid had been doing so since Maka had woken him up. He was completely angered by the fact that Soul could just disappear and come back a few days with no new news.

"I did find out something, but your too busy yelling you head off." Soul shrugged.

"Shh! We'll tell him once we know if we have proof or not!" Tsubaki held three voodoo dolls in her hand. One was Asha, the other was Myuki, and the third was Maka. They were all grinning around the room. "Are you suure you called Patty and Liz over?"

"Hmm, yeah I called them." Soul kept cool, although his heart was pounding heavily. He was certain they knew who the killer was, and the fact that he was in the same room as Maka, always made his heart beat rapidly.

Crona was nervously gazing around the room, while Blair was tossing and turning in his lap. She snored loudly.

"Maka, could I borrow your tea pot? I have a few packs of tea I made before I left." She took out a couple plastic bags. "I made the mixes all myself!"

"Sure." Maka smiled and put her hands on her lap. She was shivering in excitement. It was almost like Christmas day. "But.. Tsubaki. You need to tell me something. Why did you run away? And how did you find Soul?"

"Well, I ran away to find Soul, and where I found him was quite obvious. I'm surprised you didn't find him." Tsubaki began making the tea.

"Where?" Maka shivered again. She just couldn't control her excitement. _I just need to stop shaking!_

"Well, I waited outside your apartment for a while, looking for Soul and maybe the killer. And I found him. He was trying to climb up to his room, through the window."

"Er, Isn't that kind of.. impossible?" Kid gave a confused look.

"Oh believe me, he found a way." Tsubaki put the kettle on the stove. A fresh mint scent filled the apartment. "Didn't you notice how some of your food's gone missing each night?"

"Oh, I just thought that was the killer." Maka shrugged.

"And I also saw the killer." Tsubaki's face was serious.

"Aren't you going to tell us? Maka's life is on the line!" Crona stood up, allowing Blair to fall to the floor.

"She thought she saw the killer, we don't want to give everyone false ideas until we can be sure. We've discussed this for hours." Soul said as Blair jumped on his lap.

"And for that we need Patty's help." Tsubaki turned around and faced them from where she was near the counter. The lights weren't on in the kitchen, but her face was still smiling through the darkness. _Tsubaki's always so positive, even in times like this._

"But I will say I saw a tall dark figure moving through the street looking up at your apartment." Tsubaki paused. "I can't say anymore, we need Patty."

Kid gasped, as if something finally made sense to him. He bolted upright, into the air, but controlling himself, he sat down again. The look of surprise did not leave his face.

Kid's hands covered his mouth.

Maka and Crona looked at each other. They didn't get it.

The door opened a few minutes later and the two Thomson sisters entered.

"Hey, everyone." Liz walked into the room.

"Hiya! Guys!" Patty skipped behind her sister, wearing her usual giraffe hat and smiled blissfully at everyone. "IT'S LIKE CHRISTMAS MORNING!" She announced.

"Patty." Soul said. "Give Tsubaki your hat."

"W-why?" Patty looked confused. Tsubaki leaned over and plucked the ugly hat from her head. She turned on all the kitchen lights and examined it.

"Yes, Soul. We were right." She looked at the voodoo dolls next. "They're made of the exact same material."

"O-Oh dear." Crona's eyes grew wide.

"What?" Maka looked back and forth. "What's going on?"

"Who sold you this hat Patty?" Tsubaki asked, inquisitively.

"Hmmmm. Let's see." Patty looked up at the ceiling. "Hmmmmmmmm." She shuffled her feet on the ground. "Hmmmmmmm. Oh I don't remember!" She giggled.

"Some guy off the street." Patty shrugged, but she too looked around the room in surprise. "No way."

"Was he tall?" Soul asked, when the room was silent. Not even the tea kettle steamed, because it was now steeping on the other burner. Patty and Liz slowly nodded.

"We have our killer." Soul announced standing up.

"How?" Maka still seemed to be the one to not understand.

"Tell me Maka, do you think the murder ever re-visits the scene of his murders?" Soul turned around and asked her the question.

"I don't know, Soul." Maka frowned.

"Well he did. I was camping out at Myuki's apartment. Good thing you guys didn't even bother to look in the back room you would've found my things. Then Tsubaki ran away and found me. We both camped there, and she was able to find things that I didn't." Soul smiled weakly, as Maka frowned. Apparently the idea of the two camping out together didn't please here. _Your such and idiot, Soul._

"She found something last night that made me worry for you." Soul admitted. "I've been coming to check up on you, every night, so I thought I'd sneak into your room and steal your doll." He pointed to the doll on the kitchen counter. "Good thing you were sleeping on the couch."

"What did Tsubaki find last night?" Kid was perplexed. He leaned forward and had his hand on his chin.

"A hand-knit scarf." Soul said grimly.

Everyone in the room gasped, except for Tsubaki and Soul. Maka finally understood. She jumped up and began pacing around the coffee table.

"I handed it to a tall waiter. A tall man was talking to me at Barns n' Noble, A tall man complimented me on my hat the day he delivered the door. A tall man gave me back the water cooler when you went to go see Tsubaki and Myuki fight."

"What?" Tsubaki leaned over the counter.

"And there's probably a lot of more time's when we've met the guy." Soul sighed. "I'm so dumb, I didn't realize it earlier. We've been followed by this guy for weeks." He sat at the dinning room table.

"The man that sold Patty the hat, was the same guy? He was also one of the two men in front of the bar." Liz seemed lost in thought. _A bar?_

"He changes his form every so often, he's definitely a kishin that can do that, but it seems his only flaw is that he turns out tall every time."

"So, he's a kishin?" Maka was puzzled. "Then how come I sense the soul of a man, every time?"

"That's a mystery to us too." Kid answered the question meant for Soul and Tsubaki. "I've been doing research with Stein. "It's a new type of kishin. That has mastered soul protect to fit in with the rest of the crowd. It's like a defense system."

"It has its flaws though, like him being tall each time." Soul concluded.

"That's something I didn't know." Kid nodded. "I need to tell Stein."

"N-no!" Tsubaki waved her hands in front of her. "You can't do that! We have a plan."

"What's that?" Liz asked as she sat down at the table, next to Soul.

"We are going to the abandon cloth factory at the far north side of town. It's an old warehouse, but it used to sell these brands of cloth." Tsubaki bent her head to signal towards the dolls and the giraffe hat. The giraffe hat was now with the dolls, because Patty refused to touch it.

"You should tell a teacher." Crona looked around. "Especially one like Stein, he's a good miester. He could help us."

"Yeah, but we were afraid he'd get a whole crew down there." Soul confessed.

Everyone had forgotten about the tea, except for Patty who was opening and closing the tea kettle top to let of steam.

"Stein wouldn't do that, in fact he knows a lot more into the matter than I do. If your going to get me to go, we're taking him along." Kid was on the edge of the couch.

Soul and Tsubaki sighed, but agreed to Kid's request.

"Your coming too, Maka. It would be better for you to come with us and stay protected, than be here, just waiting for it to kill you." Soul's eyes were full of frustration and tenderness.

"Okay. Fine." She crossed her arms and puffed. "When are we going?"

"Tomorrow." Was Tsubaki's reply. "We are going tomorrow."

All at once, everyone jumped as the main door was slammed to the ground. Black*Star jumped in and looked around. Maka didn't even seem bothered by the fact that her door was knocked down again. _If this keeps up, they'll become an endangered species._

"Tsubakiii!" He flung his arms around her. "I WAS LOOKING EVERYWHERE!"

"Oh." She sighed. " Black*Star." Tsubaki returned the hug. "I'm sorry."

"Apologies aren't necessary! I'm so great that I understand the reason why you left!" Black*Star turned around confidently. "TSUBAKI HAS RETURNED TO US!"

"Uh, yeah she's been here for a half and hour. It's not news to us." Liz grumbled. "Well, at least we know more and tomorrow, were' going to confront this thing."

"Y-Yeah." Crona agreed. "To protect Maka." Soul glared at him.

Maka smiled, but then her expression turned to worry.

"Hey Tsubaki?" Maka mumbled.

"Yes?" Tsubaki was being crushed by another one of Black*Star's hugs.

"What worries me is that you said you found the scarf lying there, deliberately. Is he waiting for us?"


	21. An Anticipating 3rd Day Part 1

Part 1 of 2, things start to heat up as Maka, Kid, Black*Star, Stein, Crona and their weapons get ready to enter the factory!

Part 2 tonight will result in a member of each group narrating the story as they explore the factory and will each come out in individual chapters. The time they are posted will be ranging from right now until 12:00 tonight. Hope you enjoy & are excited as I am!

**3 DAYS 'TILL CHRISTMAS!**

* * *

The night air was cold and gusty. There was a huge storm looming over Death City. It was not the usual snowstorm that Kim and Angela made, but one that had thunder and lightning. There may have been rain too, but no one would know, because it would freeze-over once it touched the witch's freezing spells, and fall as snow.

Five miesters and four weapons walked in the shadows of a dark alley. No one smiled and no one talked. They all wore heavy winter clothing.

"Are we almost there?" Tsubaki asked, looking up at Stein. Stein turned to her. His face was worn with tiredness; he carried Death Scythe over his right shoulder.

"Don't worry. I'll tell you when we're almost there." His voice was soft, but ragged.

Kid walked with both his hands in his pockets, behind Soul and Black*Star. Liz and Patty surrounded either side of him. They had been discussing something earlier, but their conversation was barely audible.

Maka was right behind Liz, Patty, and Kid, but she wasn't the last person in line. Crona was. He kept on shifting nervous glances upward toward Maka, and then looking back down at the street.

"Hey, I think something's bothering Crona." Black*Star whispered to Soul.

"Huh, yeah, not my problem." Soul kept his voice low, trying to keep his cool.

"Hmm, maybe your right, but what if it has something to do with Mak- MMMF! MY FOOT!"

"You don't want to do that, Black*Star. Keep the volume down. He'll know were coming." Stein looked over his shoulder.

"Professor. He already knows were coming." Maka rushed to the front.

"Not by the side entrance he doesn't." Stein ducked under a chain-link fence that had a "_No trespassing"_ sign on it.

"Don't worry Maka. Papa's here to keep you safe! No-one'll think twice about laying a hand on you-" Spirit went into a depressed state as his daughter slinked off to the back of the procession.

"Soul?" Kid finally broke the silence. He whispered lowly to Soul, his eyes transfixed on Stein to make sure he wasn't being too loud. "Do you think it's him."

"Huh?" That was Soul's only response. He seemed to be a little lost in thought.

"Is it Crona?"

Soul had never thought about that. He hadn't realized that it was Crona last night who found Maka lying there. It was Crona who always seemed to be interested in Maka lately.

"No. It can't be." Soul's reply was less than believable. He was starting to feel betrayed. Crona couldn't be that type of person. He had come too far to be a killer. He clutched his coat and shivered.

"Kids." Stien paused and everyone looked up. "We're here."

The abandon cloth factory's exterior was more frightening than anything the kids had imagined before. It wasn't just one big long factory. It was made up of several large warehouses. It was almost like a large college campus.

The walls were made of brick, metal, and concrete. The first building that was ahead was a short to the ground type of building with many windows. It was like a reception hall at an old church.

"Wow! That's a big building!" Black*Star admitted rubbing the back of his head. "O-Of course it's no where near as big as I AM!" He recovered from his awe quickly and stood proudly. Tsubaki nodded.

Liz was huddled next to a crate on the ground. She had her hands gasped together and she was sitting on her knees.

"T-T-THAT'S THE ABANDON CLOTH FACTORY?" She squeaked. "I'm sure it's not. I'm sure it's not. I saw a creepy building about two alleys down, let's go there." She pleaded Kid.

"No I'm afraid not. Liz. Maka, and possible Patty's lives are on the line." Kid glared at the very asymmetrical building. Liz began to cry. "Patty, cheer up your sister."

"OOkay!" She patted her sister on the back. "It's alright Sis! Remember that time we went to that pirate ship! Waaay back when! It'll be like that!" Patty pulled her sister to her feet.

"Y-yeah, besides the ghosts everything turned out okay. I guess." Liz was still cautious.

Soul leaned up against the wall and kept his eye on Crona. He did seem more jumpy than his usual self. He would without hesitation, kill Crona, if he laid a hand on Maka.

"Everyone, we need to split up into groups. Don't worry I have maps for everyone of the groups being sent in." Stein handed out small pieced of paper to everyone. "This is just like one of your regular missions that you receive in school. I'll even give you extra credit if you make it out of this alive." Stein's smile faded when he saw the children's reaction. "But the groups will just be their miesters and weapons."

"Black*Star and Tsubaki you will be in charge of searching the basement. I want a thorough search of the whole entire basement in building A and B. Don't mind C, though, the basement collapsed from what I know of."

Tsubaki flinched. The building definitely wasn't in good condition, and they had the lowest part. Black*Star reassured her with one of his speeches and then a corny joke and she felt better.

"Kid, you and your usual duo will go investigate the main factory and processing belt. That's building A on your map." Kid looked down at the largest building.

"Yes I see." He said.

"The supply rooms should also be checked, so I'd like you to investigate the rooms above the processing belt, is that clear?"

Kid nodded and went to talk with Liz and Patty about their stratagey.

"Maka and Soul." Stein lowered his face to meet Soul's. "I want you to take it easy and search the board rooms, closets, and side buildings. I've high lighted all the spots for you two to look on your map." Maka held the piece of paper tight in her hands. She knew they were getting the easiest task.

"Spirit and I will be watching around exterior of the perimeter. This is probably the most dangerous job. I will be able to see if anything leaves or enters. I am not sure yet whether Maka's team will be the safest team or not." He scratched his head, and tightened the screw a little bit.

"What do you mean? The voodoo guy is targeting her right now." Liz walked over to Stein. "She would be the main target, right?"

"Not necessarily." Stein looked over at the factory. "That depends on whether the killer is willing to stick to his pattern or not."

"What do you mean?" Kid asked.

"He might be just concentrated on Maka, yes that's true, but me might not. He might work on picking off everyone else, and waiting two more days to kill Maka. That would make it easier for him."

Everyone gasped. "Or he might just follow Maka around and go after her two days early, Then he'd get an easy start on Patty, I don't know yet."

"That's insane!" Tsubaki couldn't help but raise her voice.

"This isn't a school mission. Tsubaki." Stein set down the staff of Spirit. "If you feel you are in true danger, get outside as soon as possible." His eyes narrowed. Tsubaki bowed immediately.

"Yes!"

"This could be our last chance to save Maka's life. Everyone keep on their guard."

"W-wait professor!" Crona, nervously, stepped forward. "What about me?"

"You will-" Stein looked to Soul and Maka. Soul's eyes widened and his hands clenched into fists. "You will accompany Spirit and I." Stein faced the kids.

"And one more thing. If you sense the soul of a man. Even if you think there's the slightest possibility of you sensing that man's soul. Run. Get outside as fast as you can. I can guarantee you. That if you spend to long near him, he might get enough courage to come after you."

"WHAT THE HELL?" Maka gasped and took a step back. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know." Stein said. "I think he's going to sit in the shadows for most of our mission, but he'll be there." Stein raised Spirit. "And I wouldn't doubt if he found an opening in your defenses, he would kill you within that split second."

"Alright then, I've had enough of this lets get going." Kid walked by Stein followed by Liz and Patty.

"ME TOO! Tsubaki kusarignama mode!" Tsubaki transformed into her chain scythe and Black*Star held it up in mid-air. "YAHOOOO!"

Thunder sounded from somewhere above them. The light filled the sky for a brief second then disappeared.

Maka and Soul were the last to head out. They walked slowly to their first building. Building 1-A, storage shed. They both knew something bad was about to happen.


	22. Team 1: Tsubaki & BlackStar

**Tsubaki and Black*Star are assigned to the basement in building A and B.**

* * *

Tsubaki gripped Black*Star's arm. She was freezing, even though she was bundled in two coats, long winter pants, and a scarf. She bent down a little and buried her face in his neck. Tsubaki felt warm and comforted. _Aahhhh Black*Star._

"Are you sure you wanted to come out of your weapon mode, Tsubaki?" Black*Star looked over at her. "I think it's warmer as a weapon. I mean, your inside it and everything."

"I _am _the weapon, Black*Star, I was as cold as the weapon itself, but, you were wearing gloves. Besides." Tsubaki looked over her shoulder, behind her. "Now I'm wearing clothes."

Black*Star stopped in his tracks. They were in the middle of a dark hallway with no light or sound, and the air was still. Tsubaki inched her way forward in the darkness.

"Black*Star? Are you there!" Tsubaki yelled.

"Yeah! Coming!" Black*Star shook his head. He had forgotten he was carrying around a naked woman in his hands every time Tsubaki transformed. He wondered what Tsubaki would think about him if she knew he was thinking those kind of thoughts.

Tsubaki wrapped her fingers around a stairwell. _I hope Black*Star's not thinking the kind of thoughts that I think he's thinking._

"I found the stairwell to the basement!" Tsubaki whispered. "But I sense a strong vibe down there. I think we shouldn't do it."

"YAAAAHHOOO!" Black*Star ran past Tsubaki and nearly tripped over the first step.

"Careful!"

"OKAY!"

"SHHH!"

The weapon and her miester slowly made their way down the stairs to another all black passage. They crossed it and came to a large room. They couldn't see at all, but they felt the space in front of them seem to go on forever.

"You smell that, Tsubaki?" Black*Star took a step forward.

"Yes, Black*Star." She held her hands together. "It's blood."

A shuffle in the side of the room startled both of them. It was a loud rustling noise almost like something was ripping through paper. They both stood frozen for a second._ I think I feel something behind us, a presence._

"Black*Star." Tsubaki whispered. She remember what professor Stein had told her.

"Wh-a?" Black*Star had both his eyes concentrated on where he thought he heard the noise. "Run." She breathed again. "Someone's behind us." _I can feel it now, a man's presence, directly behind us. I can't sense Souls, but I know someone's behind us._

Instead of running back up the stairs, Black*Star bolted into the darkness. Tsubaki followed obidetiantly. She wasn't sure why her miester did something like that, but she would follow him anyway. They tripped over long sheets of cloth and pieces of paper and the smell of blood became stronger and stronger.

Tsubaki had to cover her nose with the sleeve of her coat. Black*Star gagged, but kept on running.

"Where's an exit?" Black*Star looked around. "WHERE IS IT?"

"We ran away from it!" Tsubaki'svoice was faint.

"Huh? Why D'ja do THAT?" Black*Star yelled into the darkness to where he though Tsubaki might be. "YOU DON'T ALWAYS HAVE TO FOLLOW ME EVERYWHERE! YOU COULD'VE GOTTEN OUT!" He did not hear a reply from Tsubaki. She had run the opposite direction. They didn't know it, but they were in two diffrent wings of the very large basement.

"Black*Star? Black*Star?" Tsubaki had followed the scent of blood. She knew that her miester's curiosity would also bring him there. Tsubaki's heart was pounding in her chest. She knew that it would only be a matter of time before whomever it was out there found her. She tried to conceal her breath, but her breaths were fast and short. _The blood, it's in front of me._

Tsubaki stepped in a puddle. It didn't make a splashing noise, but it definitely was a puddle. It was made up of blood. Tsubaki felt around with her boot to see if anything else was around it. Her foot hit something hard, and she bent over to pick it up.

She picked up a weird plastic object with a switch on the side. She ran her fingers over it and felt it click. Light poured out into her eyes. It was a flashlight! Tsubaki was so grateful, she didn't even think why a mysterious object was in the middle of the floor. _Thank goodness! _

Tsubaki aimed it at the pool of blood and found who the blood belonged too. It was a pigeon. A bunch of birds were scattered around and made the whole place reek of blood.

"Someone is toying with us." Tsubaki muttered. She didn't know who she was talking too though.

"Someone is toying toying with us us." A reply came from somewhere in the room.

"W-Who's there!" Tsubaki stretched out her arm and the end became the blade of her uncanny sword. "I'll fight you, if your the one who's been hurting my friends."

"Whos Whos Whos There? I'll fight you if your the one who's been hurting my friends friends."

Tsubaki lunged into the darkness before her. She used her arm first and aimed at something in front of her. She heard a large _riiiiping_ noise and a racket fell onto the ground, muffled by the bodies of the birds. _It was just a clothes rack?_

"Don't wait wait too long Tsubaki Nakatsukasa. If you spend too long near near near me, than I'll devour your soul."

"TELL ME WHO YOU ARE YOU COWARD!" She screamed. "I'LL FIGHT YOU! EVEN IF YOU KILL ME I WON'T LET YOU TOUCH MAKA!"

"Maka Albarn." It said in a terrifyingly shrill voice. "Maka Albarn. Do you like the flash light?"

"What?" Tsubaki was confused by what it said, but remembered she actually had a flashlight. She let the light wander around the room. _Hopefully, I can find whoever is in here with me._

"It's not not mine. It's your friends."

"Who's?" Tsubaki was in tears. She hoped it wasn't Maka's, and she definitly hoped it wasn't Black*Star.

"I killed them already." Tsubaki turned the flashlight off. She didn't want to see a mangled body of one of her friends. She didn't want to see anymore. She just sat down where she was, on top of the dead pigeon bodies, next to the fabric hanger, and slowly curled up. The madness overflowed her sane mind in waves. _Was it Black*Star he killed? Was it Liz he killed? Was it Patty he killed? Was it Kid he killed? Was it Maka he killed? Was it Soul he kill-_her mind wouldn't stop. It wouldn't work right.

Tsubaki's last sane thought was, '_What type of monster is this_?'


	23. Team 2: Liz, Patty, & Kid

"Liz, Patty." Kid looked around suspiciously. He was glad it wasn't all the way dark in the hallway they were walking down. Flashing lightning kept on illuminating the hallways for brief seconds at a time.

"Not good Not good Not good!" Kid begin to panic, as the two sisters held his hands.

"What is it now Kid?" Liz said in a sarcastic tone. _I wish he wasn't such a big crybaby sometimes._

"Your not going to start yelling at the strips of cloth again, because they weren't symmetrical are you?" Patty giggled.

"No it's not that." Kid's voice broke down to a whisper. "I've lost my flashlight."

"Oh great!" Liz sighed. "I thought it was something important!"

"It was! What if we come to a dark room and we can't see?" Kid begin to panic. "I tripped over something about two rooms back, I think we should go back to find it."

"We can't do that Kid. That creature's already found it." Liz pushed him forward.

"Whaa?" Kid gapped.

"Yup. He's got it right now, and to get it back we need to go find him." Liz huffed as she pushed him farther along.

"You're right Liz!" Kid stood up, causing Liz to fall over. "Let's keep on going. The production belt is just up ahead." Kid began to march forward.

"YAAAAHHOOO!" An echo came from across the halls and rooms.

"Heh, That sounded like Black*Star." Liz half-way smiled.

"Or that might be the monster!" Patty put her hand to her mouth in a silent gasp. "What do you think Sis?"

"No one yahoos like that. It's Black*Star." Kid sighed. "There obviously somewhere ahead. That means well go the opposite way the next time we come to a fork in the hall. I think the right is the belt, anyway."

"You think?" Liz begin to twitch. "I hope your right." She couldn't even threaten her partner. She was too scared_. I bet the monster's after Maka and Soul. It's a terrible thing to think, but I'm sure it's not around here._

"Actually, both of you. Stay behind me. I don't want anyone tripping over debris. There seems to be a lot of it here." The whole hall, the visible parts at least, were covered in trash and cloth shreds.

"I've done a little research about this place." Kid took a step forward, careful not to step on anything. A loud roar of Thunder echoed around the building.

"That's nice." Liz muttered. _Really nice, Kid._

"LET ME CONTINUE!" Kid calmed down again. "The place was abandon because one of the workers was a serial killer, who killed a worker each night. At first, it just seemed to be accidents, people falling into machines, people being locked into rooms and left for three weeks, stuff like that." The shiningami voice was calm.

"Like THAT?" Liz screeched and gripped Kid's shoulders. Patty squealed and grabbed Liz's shoulders. They walked in a straight line.

"But it turned out to be more. Shootings, hangings, incidents with needles and knives. The killer was a genius." Even though his deeds were terrible, Kid secretly admired the genius of the man.

"So are you saying this man turned into the kishin that were facing now?" Liz asked, quietly, leaning her face close to his shoulders.

"Well, That is the conclusion Professor Stein and I have reached." Kid paused and pondered for a moment, Liz and Patty prodded him to get going again. "It only seems logical."

"But that doesn't matter. It's completely trivial to our search. We are only interested in how he kept his intellect throughout the process of becoming a kishin. That has never happened before. Even Ashura gave into madness. This Kishin is giving off madness, not as strong as Ashura, of course, but it beats out Ashura because it is not effected by the madness itself."

"I see." Liz shook even more.

"Aw. I hope everyone's okay!" Patty buried her face into Liz's coat she begin to purr like a cat. "Sis' I'm cold!" _Patty, you can be so dumb, but so sweet sometimes. I don't know what I'd do without you._

"We're here." Kid held onto something with his right hand. It was a doorknob. Liz squinted her eyes and through the darkness she saw a beat-up sign that read. 'Factory A-1 Processing Belt'

"YAY! Let's go inside!" Patty jumped into the air.

"Hey Kid." Patty grabbed one arm and looked up nervously. "I'm a little scared, okay fine, I'll admit it. Just give me a sec before we go in. Maybe a minute to calm down?"

Kid at first, was about to argue, but he soon saw this was the only way to bring one of his two pistols with him. He agreed and stood silently. Thunder boomed outside again, and lightning flashed through the small windows.

"Well Say SOMETHING!" Liz clutched both of her arms and skipped from what foot to the other. "It's awkward! Your just staring at me like that!" Kid shifted his golden gaze down.

"Hey, I have a question, y'know, for when this is all over." Liz asked. Patty leaned her head farther into her sister's coat.

"What does it take to be a miester? I can use Patty pretty well, and she can use me the same way, but you're a true miester. What does it take?"

"Hard work, training, soul perception, and mostly bloodlines." Kid's answer was blunt.

"Oh. Bloodlines? Really?" Liz looked down. "I just wanted to know so I could tell a friend of mine something." _Oh that's just great. She can never become a miester if she's doesn't have miester blood. Although, he did say 'mostly.'_

"A friend? Hmm?" Kid put his hand on the door handle again. "Well I'd say she's pretty stupid if she's wanting to become a miester without any of those." Liz flinched as Kid opened the door into darkness. Liz shielded her eyes with her coat sleeves and Patty hugged her sister tightly.

Kid gasped. Inside the room was horrid Threads and cloth were spun in a pattern all around the walls. All the cloth was drooping and sagging in ways and looping in others. Sometimes the cloth was tangled, but one thing was for certain, the room was an amazing mess.

Bones and whole skeletons were strung throughout the fabric as if they were beads on a large necklace. Blood and rotting flesh were scattered around the room. It seemed to be like a huge nest in a way. All the threads, cloth, and bones met in the middle like a giant funnel.

"Almost like a spider." Patty gazed outward. _I'm still not going to look.. I'm still not going to look!_

"Yes. This is truly insanity. If the kishin were to work out it's insanity in a pastime like making this giant piece then of course his madness would be controlled for a certain amount of time." Liz looked up, she seemed to understand.

"They say if you put all your effort into something, a little bit of yourself goes into your work. Like artwork or books." Liz brushed past Kid and looked around the room.

"Or like CAKE!" Patty smiled.

"So this is truly his mind. The madness here is incredible. You can actually feel it pushing you around when you walk through the door." Liz was in awe. The place was foul, horrid and made her head spin, but she found it comforting at the same time. _We've made a discovery no one else has!_

"Let me feel!" Patty tried to walk right into the room, but was pulled aside by Kid.

"No you don't! Just look at your sister!" Kid pointed toward Liz, who was delusional, bent over a little, and muttering things at the ground.

"This still doesn't explain why he has the soul wavelength of a man, though." Kid looked down at Patty who was looking at him with droopy eyes. It seemed to effect the shiningami less than his weapons.

"Patty you and Liz back a few feet, I thi-"

"KID!" Black*Star came running down the hall. He wasn't visible until a few feet in front of Kid, but his voice was absolutely recognizable. "TSUBAKI! WHERE IS SHE?"

Kid's eyes widened. Black*Star was gasping for breath, he had obviously been running for a long time. He was covered in blood and bird feathers.

"Bird fe-"

"WHERE'S TSUBAKI?" Black*Star asked again. "WHERE THE HELL IS TSUBAKI?"

"I don't know! I don't know!" The madness was slowly pricking away at Kid too. It was just starting though, like little drops of water filling up a glass.

"Where did you loose her?" Kid grabbed Liz by the hood of the coat and pulled her away.

"I LOST HER?" Black*Star was furious and started yelling at Kid, as he dragged his weapons through the papers and cloth.

"Yes you did. Liz, Patty transform!" The two hesitantly transformed into guns. I feel a little better now that I'm in my weapon form and away from that room. _I think I can think straight again!_

_Hey Patty! Where are we? Liz turned to her sister who was yawning._

_I dunno, Sis! I just took a nice nap! Patty turned to face her sister with a smile. She looked around._

"KID?" Liz muttered drowsily and looked around. She was being carried, swiftly through the halls. "Liz, you're a fast runner. I need you to run outside and find Professor Stein tell him to come to the basement! Tsubaki's in trouble!"

"Why?" inched her way out of Kid's grasp, and transformed into her human form.

"Patty you too! I can't use you if Liz isn't around." Kid threw Patty into the air, where she transformed too.

"What's the big idea?" Liz put her hands on her hips, but Kid was already running away in the shadows side-by-side with what she thought was Black*Star.

"Look! Sis' n' exit right there!" Patty grabbed her sister's hand and ran straight for something. Liz couldn't see at all, she sure hoped Patty knew where she was going and they didn't end up in a wall. _C'mon Patty!_

After getting through a tangled mess of threads, they pushed their way out into the even colder night air. It was refreshing somehow, to say the least.

"Let's go Patty! We need to hurry!" Liz ran out, past a few sheds and came out into the open where she started waving. The thunderstorm seemed to be over now, and it was just snowing lightly. Liz began jumping up and down waving her arms. _Stein where are you? WHERE ARE YOU?_

Patty joined her sister in jumping and yelling. They shouted curses, and pleas, and everything they could. They just wanted to be heard.

"Patty?" Professor Stein came running along the concrete. "Liz?" He stopped and stood upright, looming over the two. "What's wrong?"

"Is MAKA OKAY?" Spirit's voice sounded from the weapon Stein was carrying.

"I don't know. Black*Star's mission failed, professor. Tsubaki's in trouble in the basement." Liz was almost out of breath and her voice was almost gone.

"Good work you two, come with me." Stein ran thrust Spirit over his shoulder and ran to the nearest building. _Oh yeah, I suppose we should've told him which basement, but he probably figured that out._

"Professor? Where's Crona?" Patty asked as they ran through the dimly lit halls and rooms. Stein had a lighter lighting a path.

"I don't know, Patty." Stein ducked under a large over hanging piece of ceiling that had fallen down. "We've been looking for Crona too. We got separated a while back ago."

"That's odd." Murmured Liz as she grasped Patty's hand. _Very odd._

Soon Kid came into view. Their faces were twisted in complete terror and they merely pointed down the dark staircase. Tsubaki's screamed of agony and pain issued from the doorway.

"She's been screaming like that for fifteen minutes at least. I had to knock Black*Star out and hide him under the vent over there. He just wanted to barge down their and save her." Kid nodded to a vent where under it, part of Black*Star's boot was showing.

"HELP ME PLEASE, DEAR GOD SOMEONE!" Tsubaki shrilly cried again. "IT'S DOWN HERE! IT'S HERE! HERE!"

Stein clutched Death Scythe in his hands. "Get Black*Star, all of you hurry follow me, no one's left behind." Stein pushed his way down the stairwell and came to a halt at the bottom. Everyone else followed reluctantly.

"Blood." Stein muttered. "Tsubaki's a couple rooms ahead."

"It's just bird blood." Black*Star was beginning to regain consciousness. The two Thompson sisters were carrying him.

"No, there's human blood now." Stein pushed his way forward. The lighter was blazing dimly in the darkness.

"T-Tsubaki." Black*Star reached his hand out, but it trembled in place, so Liz pushed it down to his chest again. _The bond between Black*Star and Tsubaki is so strong._

"Hurry." Stein kicked aside a table of needles and papers, and trudged through another open space, he pushed open a door. "Tsubaki's in here." A gust of cold air shot past them all, and they shivered. Stein lifted his lighter to see what was inside the room.

Dead birds were all over the room, as well as other garbage, but the most important thing was Tsubaki who was laying sprawled across the floor on top of a hangar. Her legs and arms were sprawled out as far as they could bend and her face gazed up at the ceiling. She was half-naked and in need of warmth. Her entire figure was covered in blood.

"HURRY! LIZ, PATTY, BLACKSTAR! HELP TSUBAKI! Stein turned around and banged his fist against the wall. "DAMMIT!" He shouted. "DAMMIT DAMMIT!"

"What?" Kid was in a state of panic, everything in the room was unsymmetrical, the birds, the hangars, the tables, but he feared the most now, was his friend's lives.

Stein begin to laugh. His laughter was the only sound in the entire basement, and when Spirit and Kid both inquired why. He just laughed harder.

"It's too late." He chuckled and tightened the screw on his head a little more. "It's too late!" Liz looked up from where she was covering Tsubaki with her own coat. Patty and Black*Star also glanced up for a split second, before helping Tsubaki more. _Is the madness effecting him now?_

Stein bent over and begin crying out of laughter or sorrow. No one had seen Stein cry before at all. "He's got us all down here helping Tsubaki, when Soul and Maka are up there alone. He's tricked us all and now she doesn't have a chance."


	24. Team 3: Soul & Maka

**Maka and Soul are searching the board rooms, closets, and side buildings. (Last two Chapters will be published Christmas Night)**

* * *

"Soul? Come over here!" Maka opened a large door that led into a shed. "Hurry."

Soul, who usually would have walked casually over, came bounding to the door of the building.

"What is it, Maka?" He looked past her to see nothing of interest. It was just plain darkness. _Good, I had expected to see the thing we are chasing._

"Let's go in here next." She walked inside the shed. There were a few boxes of cloth and several other crates, but everything was completely normal for a spooky abandoned factory.

"What is the crap anyway?" Soul kicked over another table, which resulted in a shelf above falling down. A loud crash sounded through the night air.

"SOUL!" Maka turned around, furiously. "Don't make that much noise!" Her eyes narrowed. "He'll know where we are."

"HE ALREADY KNOW'S WE'RE HERE!" Soul angrily shouted. "MAKA HAVEN'T YOU BEEN PAYING ATTENTION THIS WHOLE TIME?" He calmed down. "Listen, I mean really, how stupid could you be? He's probably in this room."

"S-Soul." Maka seemed hurt. She backed up into a wall and held her arms. Whether if it was to comfort herself, or keep herself warm, Soul could not tell.

"I do want him to be following us, Soul. I really do." She was starting to talk to herself. "I don't want him to go after Tsubaki, Black*Star, Liz, Patty, Professor Stein, or." She sobbed. "Crona."

His crimson eyes glowed in the darkness. He took a step forward, and not thinking of what to do he put the map in front of her eyes.

"This building seems safe. Where do you want to check next?" Soul tried to relax, but when Maka looked up at him. He tensed immensely.

"I think we should just sit here and wait. I don't give a damn what professor Stein says we should do."

"Maka."

"JUST LISTEN TO ME! I'm going to sit here the whole time because he's watching me right now." She began to sob furiously. "J-Just sit here." Her legs trembled and Maka fell to the floor. She pushed aside broken glass shards and papers.

"I just don't care anymore." She wiped away her tears and looked up to Soul's face. _She looks so lost, for someone so strong._

"Maka I-." Soul sat down next to Maka. He clutched his knees and just sat next to her. His expression was blank. Soul didn't have anything to say. He'd just go along with whatever his miester had planned.

"I'm cold." Maka finally said, after ten minutes of silence. "Actually I'm freezing. Can I lean up against you?"

"You shouldn't have to ask that. I'm your weapon after all, I'll do anything for you." Soul felt Maka burry her face into his coat. It was true that Maka's body was cold, but Soul immediately felt a rush of heat go through his body. He was burning up.

She brought her hands up from her lap and clasped them around Soul's arm. She began to shiver violently. _It must be around four degrees outside._

"Maka." Soul turned and grabbed her shoulders. "Maka!" He shook her. "It's okay, calm down. You'll be alright. It's not that cold outside." She knew he was lying.

"Soul. That one day, you ran away." Maka was looking across the room at a crate of messed up items. She took a deep breath. "The day you kissed me?"

Soul got up from where he was sitting, so Maka had to sit upright.

"We left the door open. No wonder it's so cold in here." He proceeded to the door and shut it.

"Your avoiding my question, Soul." Maka stood up. "And I don't know how to deal with it." She bounded up and grabbed his arm. "I care for you Soul, but I don't know how you feel back!" She whispered. "I mean you kissed me that one night, but I don't-"

"Okay, Okay Maka, don't get all worked up." Soul straightened his coat. He was trying to act cool, but his heart was beating wildly. A loud knock on the door interrupted their short conversation. At that very moment the door opened, and there stood Crona. His eyes were large and he had a blank look on his face. _What's with Crona? Why is he here?_

"Soul? Maka! You need to get out of the city now. He's gone after everyone else, so it's just you left. You need to start running." Crona took a step forward. They noticed that Ragnaraok's demon sword mode was in his hands. Crona was trembling.

"Crona!" Soul and Maka both gasped.

"What happened to you?" Maka asked, worriedly.

"YOU NEED TO GET OUT!" Crona pointed outside into the swirling snow. He was panting and his bangs were all askew. "Wait." Crona frowned as there was a loud _thud_ on the roof. "You can make it out of the city if you hurry. I'll hold him off."

_**Tap Tap Tap CRIIIIIK**_

All of them looked up.

"Oh no. He's already here. This is not good."

"Who's here Crona? Is it the kishin?" Soul grabbed Maka and held her close to him. He wasn't going to let him go after her.

"Soul trans-f-" Maka could barely say the words, because Crona told her to stay quite.

"You can't fight now. You need to run. I'll hold him off." Crona pushed both Soul and Maka out the door and followed. He stopped at the doorframe, turned around, and aimed his sword to the sky. "RUN NOW!"

Maka didn't have a choice. She knew Crona was right, but how could he hold off the enemy? Soul grabbed Maka's coat sleeve and pulled her along through the blizzard. He couldn't see where they were going, but he knew they were getting close to where the alley started. They could run from there. She still has one day left to live. He, throughout the madness, looked at his wristwatch. It was nearing midnight. _NOT GOOD!_

"Hurry up Maka! You can run faster!" He pulled harder on her coat sleeve and she felt as light as a feather, but to his horror, when he turned around, she wasn't there. Only her coat waved in the wind. There was no Maka. She was gone.


	25. Christmas Eve

OH MAN! I thought I uploaded this way earlier! OHhhhh big mistake, now it doesn't feel right. Oh well, last chapter is coming up soon. I'm still in the process of writing it.

* * *

"MAKA!" Soul yelled into the snowstorm, but it was too late.

"How could it have gotten her? _She could've let me transform and we would've had a fighting chance_!

Soul let go of the coat and let it fly into the storm. He gasped and started running back. His mind was racing. _How? Where? Maybe she just tripped!_

"She has twenty four hours to live." Soul kept reminding himself. "She has twenty four hours to live."

He didn't realize that he was running in circles, out in the middle of a blizzard. _Where are the buildings? Where is Crona? Where is MAKA?_

"MAKA!" He yelled again, until he couldn't use his voice without it going out. "Ma—" He fell onto the snowy ground. He could feel solid dirt beneath him, he rubbed it with his bare hands. It was definitely solid ground. That meant he was still on the cloth factories'

perimeter. _Where were the buildings?_

Soul did not at all feel biting cold anymore, but instead, felt warm and dizzy. He was a lone weapon without his miester. _He wondered what Maka was feeling right now. Was she feeling pain? Or was she already dead?_

"Maka." He gasped again, writing in agony.

"Soul?" A soft voice replied. It was barely audible through the storm. The snow whistled all around him, but had just enough energy to look up. There, standing above him was Crona's lanky figure.

"I couldn't stop him in time." Crona looked down at Soul. "He grabbed Maka. He killed her."

It was a hell- unimaginable to only Soul at that moment. No one else could feel the sharp pain lurching at his heart. Not only was his miester gone, but the one he loved. He, amazingly stood up from the ground.

"Your lying." He whispered.

The wind started blowing from the opposite direction, bringing Crona's bangs to fly above his own eyes.

"Your lying YOU BASTARD!" Soul's denial was now more than rage. He gripped Crona's neck and refused to let go. Crona, wildly grabbed at his throat and begin to make a gurgling noise. Ragnarok began to panic, because he couldn't breathe either.

One moment, Soul was strangling Crona and the next moment, Ragnarok slid forward and plunged himself into Soul's abdomen.

"Fool." He screeched.

"Sou-" Crona gripped Soul's coat and picked him up. He had large bruises around his own neck, but neglected to tend them. Instead, he held Soul in his arms, weakly, and began to wobble north. "We need to get you to Professor Stein and the others."

"We need to find Professor Stein and the others? They're alive? I thought they were dead?" Soul was mumbling with his eyes closed. He seemed half alive. _I thought Crona said they were dead before._

"Did you not hear it? There was a big explosion." Crona continued to stumble through the blizzard. "The entire big building collapsed. That was just a little while ago."

"Crona, you better be lying." Was all Soul could say before passing out.

* * *

"Crona, move Tsubaki closer to the fire, and put another sheet of that warm cloth over her, or next time she stops breathing it will be permanent.

"Yessir!" Soul could tell the obidient voice was Crona's.

"I want you to go out and look for Liz and Patty, again. They'll freeze soon, but hopefully they're not too exposed to the cold air." The voice was tough to make out at first, but Soul soon found out it was Professor Stein. _He's alive._

"Where do I look next?" Crona asked, looking around. The fire crackled.

"I want you too look over where you found Kid. Most likely they would've fallen somewhere close to their miester. Remember, don't stay out there for longer than thirty minutes. Come back by then."

There was rustling, and a footsteps, and then Soul could not tell if Crona was around anymore. He opened a tired eyelid. Soul saw he was in a make-shift shelter build out of two metal doors, the side of a concrete wall, and a few hangars. Strips of cloth covered the inside and a fire pit was in the center.

"What were those witches thinking?" Stein gazed out the opening into the white, howling, storm.

"Professor?"

"So your alive, Soul. I personally, thought you were about dead."

"THAT'S WONDERFUL!" Soul sat up and barked at Stein.

"Looks like I was dead wrong, but since you have so much energy, please help me with Kid and Tsubaki."

Soul turned his head to see his two friends lying as close to the fire as possible. Their condition was horrible. Kid's eyes were rolled up into the back of his head, and his face was covered in blood. His whole body was ridged and cold. Soul flinched, but when he saw Tsubaki he halfway fainted again, but quickly recovered.

Tsubaki was in a worse shape than Kid, and was so swollen that it hardly looked like her anymore. In fact, she looked like someone Soul had never met before. _It might even have been an insult to say she looked like Myuki._

"Where's Black*Star?" Soul looked around.

"He, Liz and Patty are still missing. I sent Crona out twenty minutes ago to go search for them. Until then they are all assumed dead. _It seemed like less than twenty minutes ago!_

"ISN'T THERE SOMEONE OUT THERE WHO'S NOT ASSUMED DEAD?"

"Soul, calm down." Stein leaned forward, with his hands on his lap. "Your talking about Maka, aren't you?"

Soul fell to his knees and wiped away some blood from the cloth around his stomach. In truth, it really hurt, but he did not notice it at the moment.

"Where- is- She." His face was serious and even seemed to bother Stein.

"I will not tell you she is assumed dead. Because I don't think she is." Stein answered, looking into the fire. "But she will be soon, it's around noon."

"What about Crona? Crona told me-"

"I do not know what Crona saw, but I'm sure Crona's vision was blurred by the storm. I think that he was half delusional at the time."

"So, She's ALIVE?" Soul got to his feet, and bumped his head on the door above him. Stein almost smiled.

"All we can do it hope. Once Crona comes back, I'm going to get back to where I can reach a window. I'm contacting Lord Death and having him send out a complete lock down of the city. Search parties, dogs, all miesters and weapons in the area."

"What if he left the city?" Soul was halfway out of breath. He wiped away sweat from his forehead and brow. It was freezing outside and so was his body. He was in a cold sweat.

"All the murders have been in the city. Why would he stop now?"

"You said yourself he's got a mind of his own so why should we depend on him staying in the city!" Soul rasped. _I need to get out of here too._

"If he was already outside the city—" Stein paused. "What could we do?" Kid begin to breath roughly and awoke in a scream. He begin to scream his weapon's names.

"Kid. Kid." Stein kicked him in the head to the extent where Kid flopped back to the ground. "It's okay, there's a search party outside." Kid got to his feet rubbing his scalp, his eyes seemed to search around the room, but just as he stood fully up, he banged his head on the door and fell down again. Kid laid on the floor, he looked up at the ceiling.

"Where am I?" He asked, without much tone to his voice.

"A shelter." Stein answered.

"And Where is Liz and Patty?"

Soul smiled in a way. He still couldn't help but thinking of Maka. A miester and a weapon's bond was so strong. Kid was halfway dead and yet he immediately asked about his weapons. _MAKA!_

"STEIN!" Soul reached for the opening to get out. "I need to get out of here! Maka's in real danger without her weapon. She's as helpless as a little girl."

"Wait for Crona to get back, then I want you two to do what I was going to do."

"Hmm?" Kid propped his head up.

"Not you Kid, you need to stay." Stein pressed Kid's head down with his foot. "Soul. You and Crona need to go find Maka. This _is_ your last chance. Contact Lord Death and do whatever it takes to find him. He'll probably be where you'd least expect him to be."

"Come on Crona!" Soul nodded, and looked eagerly out the opening. A few minutes later, to what seemed like an eternity to Soul, Crona entered. He was probably the worst looking, besides Tsubaki, with dark black bruises on his neck._I did that, to the person who saved my life, and tried to save Maka's._

"Soul. I. Er." Crona stopped and stared. "I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry about, Crona. Maka's life is on the line at this very moment." Soul got up. "I'm sorry for hurting you. It wasn't cool of me at all."

"I forgive you." Crona said weakly. "I was mad too."

"Then you two should stop taking so long and get going. I know you'll do fine." Professor Stein's eyes were weary, but they showed truth.

"Right." Soul jumped out the opening, he was still a little weak, but he felt better knowing there was a chance to save his meister's life. _If she is still alive._

"Where?" Crona asked as they departed from the shelter, running into the night. The snow howled around them, and shook both of them violently. Soul turned to face Crona.

"First, to notify Lord Death of our conditions. Then, to find Maka."


	26. Christmas Day

Sorry for not posting this on Christmas night when I was supposed to, I passed out.

Anyway! Thanks for reading & Reviewing! Depending on the content of the next few reviews I might add another _short_ chapter to this story, but for now it's all over!

For information on my next series; _Soul Eater: A New Tale_, just check out my profile!

**MERRY CHRISTMAS! TO ONE AND ALL! :)**

* * *

Death City was certainly not the peaceful and somewhat quite community it had been twenty-two days ago. The moon still laughed, above, in the maniacal twisted face it always had on, but even it's laughing seemed lulled by the commotion going on around the city.

People, weapons and their miesters, police, and police dogs, all searched frantically throughout the streets and alleys. They had been given orders that one of Shibusen's students had been captured by a cold-blooded kishin. They were given her profile and where she was seen last, but they never really knew the whole story.

Maybe, if they had read this story from the very beginning, they would have put a little more effort into finding the girl, but the announcement was a brief over-the-television event that many people ignored. They would simply say, "_What a same, I hope they find her_", then go to the kitchen, and grab a snack.

The snow had somewhat stopped. Kim and Angela had lessened the effects so the search would be easier for the people actually looking.

The night air was still chilly, when Crona and Maka had just finished searching the eastern sector of the city.

"We've looked everywhere! I swear it." Soul began cussing loudly. Crona covered his ears.

"We have to keep looking, Soul." Crona looked up at the dark sky. "We've been searching all day, and it's already ten o' clock at night. She's dead. She's dead." Crona couldn't stop.

"NO SHE'S NOT!" Soul huffed and grabbed Crona's shoulders. "SHE'S NOT DEAD! IF I KNOW ONE THING ABOUT MAKA, IT'S THAT SHE DOESN'T GIVE UP EASILY!"

"Okay, Okay!" Crona's heart pounded rapidly. There was no where in the city he could think of, where Maka and the killer might be. Soul was busy shaking and yelling at a walky-talky in his hands.

"They can't find one single piece of evidence where she might be!" Soul muttered. He planted his hands in his face. His only miester was in the hands of death, probably in pain, and alone. "Maka."

"Soul, where should we look now?" Crona dropped to the ground. He was asking questions in a hopeful way, but Crona really looked like there was no hope at all.

"There has to be some place out there, where no one would think to look." Soul paced back and forth. "Not the academy" Soul bit his lower lip. "Not at-"

Soul looked up with panic in his eyes. It wasn't like him to act so un-cool and Crona knew it.

"Did you figure it out?" Crona sat up.

"The apartment." Soul faced Crona for a few more seconds and started running. "No one would think to look there because, well, she's been kidnapped! How unlikely would it be for the killer to return to the victim's own apartment!" Soul sped through the empty plaza they were in.

"Not likely, I guess." Crona caught up to Soul, matching his speed.

"Then that's where he'll be! The most unlikely place!" Soul jumped into the air and landed on the steps that led upwards through the streets. He climbed each step with an increasing speed until he came to the top. Crona followed right behind him, jumping up to each step.

The apartment building seemed normal from the outside. The lights were out though, which was quite noticeable. People rushed on either side of Crona and Soul, with weapons in their hands. A car alarm went off further down the street.

"Let's go Soul." Crona opened the emergency exit door to the back stairwell.

"Right!" Soul leapt in without thinking. He trudged up the stairs. The door closed, when Crona took his hand off the door and the whole stairwell was indulged with darkness. Not a single sound issued from above and below, except for Crona's chattering teeth.

"I can't see a thing!" Soul hopped onto the next step, he followed the rail. "We're almost there though." They came to what they recognized as Soul and Maka's floor. Soul kicked down the door and they ran down the hallway.

The door to Soul and Maka's apartment was already knocked down, but the lights were out. A strange purple mist was emitting from inside. Crona covered his mouth with his sleeve.

"Oh no. There's strange purple mist coming from inside there. I don't know how to deal with strange purple mist." Crona started gagging. Soul pushed past him and went inside.

"MAKA!" Soul didn't want to be too ignorant of his surroundings before he decided to go investigating so he looked around. The apartment was perfectly normal, save the intoxicating purple mist. The question was: Where was it's source?

"What do you see?" Crona leaned against the doorway; his mouth was still covered.

"Nothing! It's perfectly normal!" Soul ran to Maka's bedroom door. He gulped. Soul didn't know what to expect when he opened it. It was somewhere around eleven o' clock. There was a fair chance she was already dead.

He grabbed the doorknob and turned it. The door opened, timidly.

"MAKA!" Soul stood in amazement.

The room was in a different state than before. It looked like a normal room, but with the mist stronger than ever. It was Maka's room, but it seemed like it was someone else's. There was a pure evil aura echoing off the walls. It was the heart of madness.

Makawas hung by her writs and ankles in the middle of the room. Small threads connected her to the walls like a spider's thread. Soul hadn't noticed it before, but tiny threads were spun all around the room.

Maka was asleep, no damage seemed to have come over her yet. Her eyelids flicked a bit when Soul entered the room. What she was wearing was entirely another matter. Her whole outfit consisted of cloth and threads. Sharp pointy needles seemed to stick out of some patchwork. The sharp end was pointing outward so no harm could come to it's wearer.

Soul swept away threads, which, much to his surprise, fell away at his touch. He brushed his way through the room until he came to his miester. Soul's arm swiftly turned into his usual scythe blade, and he cut her free from the ankles, to the wrists. Maka dropped, and he caught her in his arms. Soul cringed a bit because some of the needles in Maka's clothing pierced into his flesh, but he ignored the pain.

Crona came into, staggering a bit. His eyes were wide as he looked around the room.

"Where is he?" Crona asked.

Soul had completely forgotten about who had abducted Maka in the first place. He was too overjoyed by finding his partner that he forgot all about the stitch-work hoodoo-maniac.

"I know." A demonic screeching filled the whole apartment. "Let's lets play a game."

A loud rumbling that shook the building soon replaced the screeching. "Yes, yes a game!"

"I don't like games." Crona staggered and bent over his eyes were watery.

"Who the hell are you?" Soul clutched Maka tighter, the needles dug into his skin more.

"Yes yes. If you get Maka out of the city before midnight midnight. Maka lives."

Soul and Crona exchanged glances and looked to see where the voice was coming from. The purple mist seemed to be disappearing, by now and the air was clearing.

"But if you don't. I will kill kill Mr. Crona Gorgon and Mr. Soul Eater Evans."

Soul grabbed Maka and ran through the apartment, out the door, and through the halls. Crona looked around another time and followed.

"Uh! Where we going?" Crona shouted as they exited onto the streets. People ran around them on either side. The whole street was an active mess.

"To get out of the city." Soul glanced from one side of the street to another. "Crona? Can you have Ragnarok transform into a black dragon and then carry Maka out?" Soul turned around and yelled at Crona. "Ya' hear me Ragnarok!"

"YEAH! I HEAR YOU LOUD AND CLEAR DUMBASS!" Tiny Ragnarok split from Crona's spine and appeared over his miester's head. "But you can't save little miss cowhead that way. Look above you!" He pointed one of his round gloves upward.

The entire sky above them was covered in threads and webs. No one else seemed to notice, but to people like Soul, Crona and Ragnarok, it could be seen quite clearly.

"It was that mist." Crona stared in awe.

"I bet he can watch over you too now. That mist might let him be able to track you too!" Ragnarok pushed and pulled at Crona's face .

"Listen! You'd better not die Crrooona!" Ragnarok threatened.

"Ouch Ouch! That hurts!"

" Cuz' then I'm going down with you! Not like I'd have a choice!" In a zap of color, tiny Ragnarok slid back into Crona's spine. The miester let out a large moan.

"Hurry! We don't have much time. What's the fastest way out of the city!" Soul started running down the south street in panic.

"Not that way. It's north." Crona grabbed Soul's arm and together, along with Maka, they ran.

At about eleven twenty, they ran over a bridge of water and almost bumped into a miester walking across with his two weapons.

"LOOK! IT'S KILIK! HEY KILIK!" Soul shouted, but the miester did not return the greeting. He just continued across the bridge, followed closely by Pot of Fire and Pot of Lightning.

"He didn't see us." Crona started to worry. "We're already dead!"

"It's probably just the effects of the gas." Soul lifted Maka higher in his arms; she was starting to get heavy. "AKK! These needles in her clothing are really starting to piss me off!"

"We're not going to make it in time. Death City is huge and until we get to the wall, without taking a subway, or motorcycle will be about a half an hour."

"But we'll at least have made it! We'd have ten minutes to get out of city limits!"

"Your not counting getting past security, which is very tight right now, or finding a city entrance through the wall." Crona sighed and looked at the moon, which seemed to be laughing at them as if they were fools.

"Sewers! We can find a drain out!" Soul ran to the edge of the bridge and peered over the edge. Thick strands of thread were spun around the whole area under the bridge where the water flowed.

"CRAP!" Soul shouted, kicking the stone and taking a few steps back. "We also could've taken my motorcycle, but I was in such a panic I forgot that! AND WE CAN'T EVEN CALL LORD DEATH BECAUSE HE'S OUT SEARCHING! AAAAHHH!" Soul bent over and let Maka lie on the cobblestone street.

"Wake up Maka." Soul shook her. "WAKE UP! Dammit WAKE UP!" He let a tear fall onto her pale cheek, which slid off onto her cold neck.

"Maka." Crona also bent down, and grabbed Maka's bare hand. He held is close to his own face. "She was my best friend." He reached out from under his own sleeve and pulled out part of a silver chain. On it was inscribed;

_To my best friend ever - Crona._

Soul got up off his feet. It was still only eleven twenty five, but the sense of danger that surrounded them was frightening.

"I only fear that I will loose the coolest partner ever." Soul picked up Maka with a newfound strength, ignoring any pain that came with it. "I won't let that happen." Crona got up from the street corner also, he gripped the chain, but let it fall loose again under his sleeve.

"Neither will I."

Soul and Crona ran, throughout the allies and side streets. They dodged and zigzagged so fast they were sure no one could follow their steps, but sure enough, there always seemed an ominous shadow pursuing them. They would only see glimpses though, before it would disappear again into the night.

"Hurry!" Soul called out. Crona was now the one carrying Maka, needles and all, while Soul led the way. They were almost to the main wall, miraculously.

"It's eleven fifty five!" Soul shouted into the darkness. An eerie laugh floated through the air.

"Crona! I've never been to this place before? How do we get past the wall? WE CAN'T CLIMB IT!" Crona held Maka close and looked at Soul with a panicked gaze. A loud wail filled the whole area.

"I don't think anyone else can hear that either." Soul pointed at the source, which was the alley they just came from. "It's getting ready to strike, whatever it is."

"Five minutes left. Make a hole in the wall with a strike from your demon sword!" Soul watched as Crona set Maka gently to the ground and prepared Ragnarok for a strike. Ragnarok transformed into the sword and Crona shot a huge blast at the side of the wall.

**BRRRRRM!**

The wall split, but not all the way. A giant hole appeared, where they could easily get out.

"We have three minutes." Soul looked at his watch. Crona picked up Maka and they proceeded in running out through the gap. "We're going to make it!" They could see the bright night sky, clearer than ever through the opening.

**THDMP THDMP THDMP**

The kishin came out of the darkness of the shadows. It was the most horrifying thing anyone could even imagine, but Soul and Crona did not look at it. They were too busy going gaping at what was in front of them; threads.

Threads and stitching surrounded the outside of the wall. The tangled mess was impossible to penetrate. Soul and Crona tried to get through. Soul used the blade of his arm many times to try to slice through, and there was a slight chance one of the strands might have broken, but nevertheless, the effort was futile.

"You tricked us! Even if we made it, we would've been trapped." Soul turned around the face the hideous creature.

The kishin nodded. It's eyes were huge x's and it's body was an ugly mess of different cloth. It looked like an oversized voodoo doll, itself. It was about as big as Soul and Maka's whole apartment. It gazed down at them all; hungrily.

"TALK WON'T YOU!" Soul shouted.

The kishin shook his head. It's patchwork grin only widened.

"I'm going to attack it now, Soul." Crona advanced. The miester was shaking from head to toe, but with Ragnarok in hand, at least he looked valiant enough. His heart rate increased rapidly.

"Ragnarok, screech resonance." Crona muttered, but the loud and piercing attack seemed to do no damage to the enemy. It just continued to tremble forward.

It was then that Crona leapt at the creature, thrashing violently at it's neck. The kishin sent out thousands of tiny strings that swiftly wrapped around Crona's own foot. The miester dangled in mid-air.

"Come on then." Crona did his best at taunting. "It's all right. Pierce through me. I'm fine with it." The kishin did not seem to take notice of the hostage he had at all. He just dangled Crona, in mid-air shaking him if he tried to cut himself loose. A swarm of threads was inching it's way upside Crona.

The kishin started taking steps again, with for long needle like legs, ensuing Maka and Soul. He bent down, low at the mouth of the hole in the wall. The grin widened and the x-shaped eyes in his doll like head widened. His face was the pure image of terror.

There was an instant when Soul though he was dead, the monster lunged at him with a needle arm, but inside right when his arm was half-way outstretched the kishin howled in what might be pain. Crona had pierced through a gap under his arm. Ragnarok was sticking out of the kishin, but no blood issued from the monster.

The strings around the wall loosened and Soul found his chance. He crawled over to the web and dragged Maka with him, then, he shoved his miester through a small opening.

The main bell tower in Death City chimed. It was now twelve o' clock and Maka had made it out of the city safely. Maka was safe. That was all that mattered to Soul and Crona, they were successful even though they knew there was no hope left for them.

The kishin shrieked at a louder volume than Ragnarok; Maka's freedom made it more furious. It grabbed Soul around the throat with threads and begin to tighten. Soul couldn't transform, he didn't know how to, he forgot. All of the insanity that flowed through the kishin dripped off the strings and threads and flowed into Crona and Soul. Their bodies were completely drowned by the oncoming madness.

Blood began to issue from their eyes and mouths, as if their own blood was trying to run away from the insanity inside of them. They hung from high points, for the kishin raised them higher and higher into the air.

SHININGAMI—CHOP! Shiningami-sama appeared on the scene, sending the kishin flying over the wall and into the desert. Crona and Soul were released from the monster's grasp and fell onto the ground next to each other. Shiningami-sama looked down at the two with pity in his big black eyes, and hovered over them, he could not help them now. There was work to do.

There was a loud roar from the wasteland outside the wall. A huge battle was begining, between Lord Death and the kishin but that did not matter to Crona, Soul, or Maka.

"S-Soul?" Maka rubbed her eyes. She felt light-headed and as if she had been sleeping for a whole month. "This must all be a dream." She mumbled, but getting up from the ground she found it was not a hallucination at all. Her body hardly functioned right and she was completely tender.

"Ouch." Maka staggered to the wall. She lifted up her hand and saw blood, she had just been poked by one of the needles in her outrageous outfit, but couldn't remember where she had gotten it.

All of Maka's memory was wiped clean up until

remembered was that she was running with Soul through the snow, away from the abandon cloth factory, while Crona guarded them.

"Well, where am I now?" Maka asked herself, rubbing her head slightly. She must have been covered in bruises because she was so sore. "Soul? Soul?" Maka brushed her way past threads and tangles, until she saw Soul. Her weapon was lying, unconscious, on the other side of the wall.

Maka forgot her pain for a minute and ran to him, embracing Soul. "SOUL!" She began to sob, and looked to Crona who was on her other side.

"HELP! HELP US! She screamed.

Just when she thought they were going to die, then and there, a rescue team arrived. It was a group of weapons and miesters from the academy, accompanied by Miss Marie.

"Maka? Are you all right honey?" Miss Marie shouted a student to call for an ambulance.

"Soul. Save Soul and Crona." Maka pointed feebly to the two that had done everything to save her life.

"Don't worry, Maka. Everything's okay now. Everything's fine. I don't know what is going on outside the city, but I know Shiningami-sama has everything under control. I have some bad news and some good news for you, but I'll wait until your better." Miss Marie whispered.

"Tell me the good news." Maka coughed and could hardly speak in a normal tone.

The professor did not speak, but soon they heard sirens and two ambulances arrived. Soul and Crona were put on stretchers and rushed into the first ambulance, while Miss Marie helped Maka into the other.

"I'll tell you the good news is that Tsubaki and Kid will be fine." Miss Marie smiled and aided Maka in getting dressed into something more comfortable while the ambulance began to go to the main hospital.

"Tsubaki, Kid?" Maka gasped, and almost fell backwards, but Miss Marie caught her just in time.

"I'm sorry Maka! I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have told you so soon." In telling her the good news, Miss Marie forgot she was also telling the bad. They had not yet found Black*Star, Spirit, Liz or Patty.

"I believe though, we can find them if we put all our efforts into rescue teams over there now. I also believe." She let Maka sit on the stretcher. "I also believe that Crona and Soul will survive. Crona has black blood remember. And Soul, he probably transformed into a scythe making the kishin's attacks less effective."

"Yes your right, Miss Marie. They're too strong to die." Maka still was fearful. She had a feeling deep down that things would not be okay. A sharp jabbing pain that made her certain something was wrong.

A light snow began falling again around that time, as the two ambulances rushed to the hospital, and just as all the rescue teams in the city focused on where the cloth factory had been. The battle still went on out in the desert, and would for a while, but that is a different story. A more grim one.

The whole world seemed to be slowing down for the moment, in the moonlight, and snow. That moment was perfect, when Maka knew everything was okay.

"Oh, Miss Marie." Maka whispered.

"Yes?"

"Merry Christmas."


	27. Fin

"Hello I'm Cherilyn Griffin with news Channel K666 here in our very own Death City. Well, last night seemed to be a radical one for many weapons and miesters here in the DWMA." Long and lanky blonde talked in front of a camera, she seemed refreshed and eager to be the first on the scene.

"And as you can see I'm standing at the very place where the battle with the kishin happened, before Lord Death arrived, and where brave victims stood up against the beast.

"Demon sword miester Crona Gorgon and Scythe Weapon Soul Eater Evans are two of the few hospitalized this morning. Their conditions are classified right now so we have no information for you. Maka Albarn however, is actually here with us and would like to share a few words, but for now I'm told we need to give out a list of the missing.

"Maka?" Miss Marie helped Maka out of the car. It was a light and frothy day, full of snow and kids screaming and playing all around the attack site. They were playing with their new toys and were having a great time engaging themselves in '_kishin, weapon, and miester'_.

"Don't worry Miss Marie, I know what I want to say. I was in a near death experience last night, so I should be able to handle talking live in front of the whole city." Maka smiled. "Thanks for taking care of me this whole time."

"Sure, sweetie." Miss Marie helped Maka get her two crutches, since Maka had terrible pain in both of them. "But really, I don't see the difference between near death experiences and talking in front of the whole city, they both scare me silly!"

The two laughed and then while one walked, the other limped over to the camera and the news station reporter.

"Just a sec' you too!" She held up a finger to signal 'just a minute'. "Spirit Albarn and finally, Liz and Patty Thompson. Rescue teams are still searching as of now, but if you know anything that could help us please contact the number on your screen.

"The kishin." The reported spoke into her microphone and shifted her weight to the other leg. "Has been dealt with severely with by the Grim Reaper himself. The battle took place from midnight last night to four twenty A.M this morning. The subject has been captured without killing it, and has been taken away for examination. No further information has been given to us, but there will be soon."

"Now I am happy to bring you, Maka Albarn, who will now share a few words with us." The reported handed Maka the microphone and she limped in front of the camera.

"Hello, residents of Death City. I'm Maka Albarn." She paused.

" Last night, you may not have been aware of this, but a large building collapsed on my friends and my own father. After that my best friend and my weapon risked their own lives to save my own." Maka shook her head and allowed a few tears to fall onto the snowy street.

"I loved one of them very dearly, and don't want anything to happen to- to-." Maka couldn't speak right, she let the microphone drop, which Miss Marie helped her to grasp it again, and then she held Maka's shoulders.

"What I want to say, to everyone is, Merry Christmas." Maka and Miss Marie went back over to the car while the news reported continued to talk about the events leading up to the accident.

The morning was sweet and beautiful in a delicate sort of way. The sun shone through the snow clouds that crowded the sky and sent down dancing flakes of downy white. Everything was calm in the city once more, and things stayed that way for a long time.


End file.
